Kelvin Koay|Penelope Schofield|Karla Gough|Rachelle Buchbinder|Danny Rischin|David Ball|June Corry|Richard H. Osborne|Michael Jefford
Suboptimal health literacy in patients with lung cancer or head and neck cancer
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre|Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre|Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre|Cabrini Hospital|University of Melbourne|Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre|University of Melbourne|Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre|University of Melbourne|Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre|Deakin University|University of Melbourne|Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
health literacy capacity seek understand utilise health information make informed health decisions suboptimal health literacy linked poor health outcomes study assessed health literacy patients treated head neck lung cancer associations health literacy demographic factors distress levelsconsecutive englishspeaking patients approached peter maccallum cancer centre facetoface interviews conducted health literacy assessed using shortened test functional health literacy adults stofhla health literacy management scale helms distress assessed distress thermometerresponse rate 73 n 93 using stofhla prevalence inadequate marginal health literacy 54 65 respectively groups associated older age p 0043 low education level p 0009 specific assessment stofhla revealed 70 could interpret prescription labels helms reported 17 health literacy difficulties low scores domains helms associated lower education level p 005 younger age p 005 distress associated stofhla scores related low scores two domains helms p 005using two different measures substantial proportion patients poor health literacy abilities may experience difficulties accessing health services