Ahsan M. Arozullah|Shoou Yih D. Lee|Taha Khan|Sindhu Kurup|Jeffrey J. Ryan|Michael Bonner|Robert C. Soltysik|Paul R. Yarnold
The roles of low literacy and social support in predicting the preventability of hospital admission
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center|University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|Jesse Brown VA Medical Center|Jesse Brown VA Medical Center|Jesse Brown VA Medical Center|Jesse Brown VA Medical Center|Jesse Brown VA Medical Center|Northwestern University
background prior studies found higher hospitalization rates among patients low literacy determine preventability admissions consider determinants hospitalization social support study evaluated whether low literacy predictor preventability hospitalization considered context social support sociodemographics health status risk behaviors methods convenience sample 400 patients admitted general medicine wards universityaffiliated veterans affairs hospital august 1 2001 april 1 2003 completed facetoface interview assess literacy sociodemographics social support health status risk behaviors two boardcertified internists independently assessed preventability hospitalization determined primary preventable cause blinded medical chart reviews results neither low literacy seventh grade low literacy fourth grade significantly associated preventability hospitalization multivariable analysis significant predictors preventable cause hospitalization included binge alcohol drinking p001 lower social support medical care p04 3 annual clinic visits p005 12 people talked weekly p023 among nonbinge drinkers lower social support medical care larger social networks predictive preventability hospitalization among nonbinge drinkers higher support medical care lower outpatient utilization predictive preventability hospitalization conclusions low literacy predictive admission preventability formal assessment alcohol binge drinking social support medical care social network size prior outpatient utilization may enhance ability predict preventability hospitalizations develop targeted interventions