Alberti Traci L, Morris Nancy J
Department of Health Sciences, Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts.
Graduate School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.
J Am Assoc Nurse Pract. 2017 May;29(5):242-247. doi: 10.1002/2327-6924.12452. Epub 2017 Mar 10.
An increasing number of Americans are using urgent care (UC) clinics due to: improved health insurance coverage, the need to decrease cost, primary care offices with limited appointment availability, and a desire for convenient care. Patients are treated by providers they may not know for episodic illness or injuries while in pain or not feeling well. Treatment instructions and follow-up directions are provided quickly.
To examine health literacy in the adult UC population and identify patient characteristics associated with health literacy risk.
As part of a larger cross-sectional study, UC patients seen between October 2013 and January 2014 completed a demographic questionnaire and the Newest Vital Sign. Descriptive, nonparametric analyses, and a multinomial logistic regression were done to assess health literacy, associated and predictive factors.
A total of 57.5% of 285 participants had adequate health literacy. The likelihood of limited health literacy was associated with increased age (p < .001), less education (p < .001), and lower income (p = .006).
CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Limited health literacy is common in a suburban UC setting, increasing the risk that consumers may not understand vital health information. Clear provider communication and confirmation of comprehension of discharge instructions for self-management is essential to optimize outcomes for UC patients.
越来越多的美国人选择使用紧急护理（UC）诊所，原因如下：医疗保险覆盖范围扩大、降低成本的需求、初级保健办公室预约服务有限，以及对便捷医疗的渴望。患者在疼痛或身体不适时，由他们可能不认识的医疗服务提供者治疗突发疾病或损伤。治疗说明和后续指导会迅速提供。
研究成年UC患者群体的健康素养，并确定与健康素养风险相关的患者特征。
作为一项更大规模横断面研究的一部分，2013年10月至2014年1月期间就诊的UC患者完成了一份人口统计学调查问卷和最新生命体征测试。进行描述性、非参数分析以及多项逻辑回归，以评估健康素养、相关因素和预测因素。
285名参与者中，共有57.5%的人具备足够的健康素养。健康素养有限的可能性与年龄增长（p < .001）、教育程度较低（p < .001）和收入较低（p = .006）相关。
结论/启示：在郊区UC环境中，健康素养有限的情况很常见，这增加了消费者可能不理解重要健康信息的风险。清晰的医疗服务提供者沟通以及确认患者对自我管理出院指导的理解，对于优化UC患者的治疗效果至关重要。
