Edwin S. Rogers|Lorraine S. Wallace|Barry D. Weiss
Misperceptions of Medical Understanding in Low-Literacy Patients: Implications for Cancer Prevention
University of Tennessee at Knoxville|University of Tennessee at Knoxville|University of Arizona|University of Tennessee at Knoxville
patients limited literacy skills often difficulty understanding medical information less likely undergo cancer screening present cancer later stages patients better literacy skills since primary care physicians responsible performing initiating majority cancer screening united states need able identify patients might understand medical information also communicate effectively cancer prevention screeningto determine whether family medicine residents could identify patients might difficulty understanding medical information limited literacy measured literacy skills patients universitybased family medicine clinic using short form test functional health literacy adults stofhla patients completed office visits physician asked family medicine residents rate patients ability understand medical informationamong 140 patients met 18 family medicine resident physicians 24 limited literacy skills based testing stofhla residents identified half patients poor average understanding medical informationin many cases family medicine residents unable identify patients based assessment literacy skills likely difficulty understanding medical information working residents medical educators promote habit taking poor literacy account communicating patients