Jamette Connolly Health Literacy Conference: Making Life Better Belfast 2018

1. Health Literacy Knowledge
& Experience:
NHS Podiatrists in Northern
Ireland
Jan Connolly, MSc Health Promotion & Public
Health

2. • Northern Ireland government expects patients to
become active partners in their care (DHSSPSNI 2014)
• 40% Irish population has inadequate or problematic
health literacy skills (HLS-EU Consortium 2012)
• Health literacy linked to health outcomes (WHO 2013)
• Limited research in UK on health care practitioners’
knowledge and experience of health literacy
• None specifically relating to podiatry
Background

3. Research questions
What do NHS podiatrists in Northern Ireland know about
health literacy?
What strategies or experience do they have working with
individuals with low levels of health literacy?
Do demographics have an effect on health literacy
knowledge and experience?

4. • Demographics gathered using the Health Literacy
Knowledge and Experience Survey, Part I (HL-KES)
(Cormier, 2006)
• Knowledge measured using the HL-KES Part II
(Cormier, 2006)
• Experience measured using the HL-KES, Part III
(Cormier, 2006)
Methods
Quantitative, cross-sectional survey

5. • More females than males
• 59:22
• Majority 30-49 years old
• 65.4%
• Just over 50% qualified to Bachelors degree level
• Majority visited healthcare provider more than once
a year
Study Findings
Demographics

6. Content area Total possible
score
Minimum Maximum Mean SD
Overall knowledge 25 6 24 14.75 3.24
Health literacy basic facts 5 0 5 2.33 1.13
Consequences associated
with low health literacy
3 0 3 1.98 0.81
Health literacy screening 6 0 6 3.68 1.07
Guidelines for health
literacy
9 1 9 5.38 1.45
Evaluation of health
literacy interventions
2 0 2 1.38 0.68
Study Findings
Knowledge
Mean health literacy knowledge scores

7. • NHS Podiatrists reported never (58.2%) or only sometimes
(34.2%) having health literacy emphasised in their
undergraduate curriculum
• 92.3% have never used a health literacy screening tool
• 80% frequently or always use written materials for healthcare
information
• 83.3% only sometimes or never evaluate the reading level
• Alternative technology seldom used
• Collectively 11.6% use audio and visual media frequently or
always
• 21.7% use computer software frequently or always
Study Findings
Experience

8. • Weak positive correlation between knowledge and
experience (r=0.162)
• Greater health literacy experience associated with
increased frequency of own healthcare interactions
(p=0.05)
• Greater health literacy knowledge in females than
males (p=0.033)
Study Findings
Relationship between health literacy knowledge, experience and
demographic variables

9. • Highlight need for health literacy to be introduced
into undergraduate curricula
• Need to better consider health literacy issues in
patient care
• Screening tools
• Health education techniques
Study Implications

10. • How health literacy is addressed in UK Podiatry
programmes of study
• Health outcomes if supportive health literacy
measures implemented in patient care
Future Research

11. Cormier, C.M. (2006) Health Literacy: The Knowledge and Experience of Senior
Level Baccalaureate Nurses (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved from Proquest
Dissertations and Theses. (3508251)
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland. (2014)
Making Life Better: A whole system strategic framework for public health. 2013-
2023. Belfast: DHSSPSNI.
HLS-EU Consortium. (2012) Comparative report on health literacy in eight EU
member states. The European Health Literacy Project 2009-2012. Maastricht
World Health Organization. (2013) Health Literacy: the Solid Facts. Copenhagan:
WHO Press
References

12. Thank you
j.connolly@ulster.ac.uk