VA Medical Health Literacy Study 2007

This document summarizes a study conducted at the North Chicago VA Medical Center examining factors affecting functional literacy and patient-provider communication. Focus groups with VA patients and providers identified challenges with healthcare literacy. Patients preferred simple verbal and written explanations and struggled to understand medical terminology. Providers wanted to improve communication by learning patients' literacy levels and tailoring information appropriately. The study recommends further research on how low literacy impacts elderly veterans and implementing literacy screenings to help match patients with effective communication interventions.