Debra K. Moser|Susan Robinson|Martha J Biddle|Michele M. Pelter|Thomas S. Nesbitt|Jeffery Southard|Lawton Cooper|Kathleen Dracup
Health Literacy Predicts Morbidity and Mortality in Rural Patients With Heart Failure
University of Kentucky|University of California, San Francisco|University of Kentucky|University of Nevada Reno|University of California, Davis|University of California, Davis|National Heart Lung and Blood Institute|National Institutes of Health|University of California, San Francisco
patients hospitalized heart failure often readmitted health literacy may play substantial role high rate readmissions purpose study examine association health literacy composite end point heart failure readmission rates allcause mortality patients heart failure living rural areasrural adults n 575 hospitalized heart failure within past 6 months completed short test functional health literacy adults stofhla measure health literacy followed 2 years percentage patients end point heart failure readmission allcause death different p 001 among 3 stofhla score levels unadjusted analysis revealed patients inadequate marginal health literacy 194 95 confidence interval ci 143263 p 001 times 191 95 ci 136267 p 001 times respectively likely experience outcome adjustment covariates health literacy remained predictor outcomes covariates worse functional class higher comorbidity burden higher depression score predicted worse outcomesinadequate marginal health literacy risk factor heart failure rehospitalization allcause mortality among rural patients heart failure