Ali Yurtseven, Caner Turan, Deborah Mary Ort, Mehrin Islam, Sezen Köse, Eylem Ulaş Saz, Halim Hennes
Suicide attempt management among Turkish and American adolescents: A comparison of two pediatric emergency departments
Turkish journal of medical sciences
contextpatients greatest health care needs may least ability read comprehend information needed function successfully patientsobjectiveto examine scope consequences poor health literacy united states characterize implications patients physicians identify policy research issuesparticipantsthe 12 members ad hoc committee health literacy american medical association council scientific affairs selected key informant process experts field health literacy variety backgrounds clinical medicine medical health services research medical education psychology adult literacy nursing health educationevidenceliterature review using medline database january 1966 october 1 1996 searching medical subject heading mesh reading combined text words health literacy title abstract mesh subsequent search using reading search term identified articles published 1993 august 1998 authors relevant published abstracts asked provide manuscripts experts health services research health education medical law identified proprietary unpublished referencesconsensus processconsensus among committee members reached review 216 published articles additional unpublished manuscripts telephone internet conferencing committee members approved final reportconclusionspatients inadequate health literacy complex array communications difficulties may interact influence health outcome patients report worse health status less understanding medical conditions treatment preliminary studies indicate inadequate health literacy may increase risk hospitalization professional public awareness health literacy issue must increased beginning education medical students physicians improved patientphysician communication skills future research focus optimal methods screening patients identify poor health literacy effective health education techniques outcomes costs associated poor health literacy causal pathway poor health literacy influences health