scholarly journals Analyzing asthma education and clinical practices to optimize parental health literacy: Gap analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Heidi Dodenberg

Pediatric patients in northern BC have some of the highest asthma prevalence rates compared to children in other areas of the province. Adequate parental health literacy skills are particularly important to make informed health management choices when caring for children with asthma. In this project, a gap analysis process was followed, and three evidence-informed practice gaps related to pediatric asthma care were identified. Findings highlight the need for increased asthma education and parental health literacy resources to address concerns mentioned during stakeholder engagement. Four key recommendations were formulated regarding parental health literacy assessments, clear language requirements for written asthma materials, access to specialized care resources, and adaptation of current asthma education models. In conclusion, the development of a working group that includes asthma and health literacy stakeholders, is the next step to address the findings of this project and improve the overall asthma health outcomes for children in northern BC.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 694-694
Author(s):  
Lisa Brown ◽  
Lindsay Peterson

Abstract People who plan ahead typically fare better during the response and recovery phases of a disaster. However, problems arise when the needs, wants, abilities, and resources of vulnerable people are not adequately considered. The lack of alignment between the literacy demands of existing materials and the literacy skills of many vulnerable subgroups limits their ability to understand and effectively use potentially life-saving information. Existing health literacy models that have demonstrated effectiveness in changing health behaviors and improving outcomes is a first step to reducing disaster-related morbidity and mortality in low resource and low literacy areas. This presentation will 1) describe how interdisciplinary collaborations can be used to address this public health issue, 2) explain how health literacy techniques can be applied when developing disaster materials, and 3) present research data on a social marketing campaign to improved disaster preparedness of older adults. Part of a symposium sponsored by Disasters and Older Adults Interest Group.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233372142098568
Author(s):  
Annie T. Chen ◽  
Frances Chu ◽  
Andrew K. Teng ◽  
Soojeong Han ◽  
Shih-Yin Lin ◽  
...  

Background: There is a need for interventions to promote health management of older adults with pre-frailty and frailty. Technology poses promising solutions, but questions exist about effective delivery. Objectives: We present the results of a mixed-methods pilot evaluation of Virtual Online Communities for Older Adults (VOCALE), an 8-week intervention conducted in the northwestern United States, in which participants shared health-related experiences and applied problem solving skills in a Facebook group. Methods: We performed a mixed-methods process evaluation, integrating quantitative and qualitative data, to characterize the intervention and its effects. We focus on four areas: health-related measures (health literacy and self-efficacy), participation, problem solving skills enacted, and subjective feedback. Results: Eight older adults with pre-frailty and frailty (age = 82.7 ± 6.6 years) completed the study. There was an upward trend in health literacy and health self-efficacy post-intervention. Participants posted at least two times per week. Content analysis of 210 posts showed participants were able to apply the problem solving skills taught, and exit interviews showed participants’ increased awareness of the need to manage health, and enjoyment in learning about others. Conclusion: This mixed-methods evaluation provides insight into feasibility and design considerations for online interventions to promote health management among vulnerable older adults.


Author(s):  
Samual Amponsah ◽  
Micheal M. van Wyk ◽  
Michael Kojo Kolugu

This phenomenological exploratory multiple-case study design was conducted at an open distance e-learning university and a traditional contact residential university and it was found that the participants viewed video conferencing under the COVID-19 lockdown period as an exhausting experience. A second major finding revealed that the participants were empowered with digital literacy skills to use video conferencing effectively. The current findings add to a growing body of literature on video conferencing with a focus on Zoom fatigue. Further research might explore the lived zoom experiences of administrators, students and a larger group of faculties over a longer period. The study findings must be considered when planning and implementing video conferencing for academics and students in open distance e-learning contexts. This study showed that video conferencing is one tool in the emergence of a digital zoom revolution that has radically changed the workspace. The evidence from this study suggests that zoom fatigue is a reality check for work-related health management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 51-58
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Huong Thao ◽  
Pham Quang Thai ◽  
Do Thi Thanh Toan ◽  
Dinh Thai Son ◽  
Luu Ngoc Hoat ◽  
...  

Health literacy refers to the degree to which people can access and understand health information, as well as communicate their health needs to service providers. The scale has been standardized and divided into 3 groups: Health care, prevention of disease, health promotion. Children under 3 years have immature immunological system, which can affect their development in the future. However, the health management, diseases treatment, and diseases prevention of children younger than 3 years of age depend signifcantly on the health literacy of their mothers. This study aims to describe the health literacy of mothers who have children under 3 years and some factors affecting their health literacy. Data were collected on 389 mothers of children younger than 3 years who take their children to the vaccination clinics at Hanoi Medical University and latent analysis was conducted to identify class of health literacy within the sample. Three health literacy classes were identifed. The lowest mean health literacy index was within the disease prevention dimension, where the largest number of respondents showed limited health literacy. Three distinct health literacy level were identifed and termed low (n = 35.9%), moderate (n = 243, 62.5%) and high health literacy (n = 111, 28.5%). We found that higher scores of Health Literacy Scores (HLS) closely correlated with higher educational levels, the job of mothers, the age of children and the frequency of searching for health information using the internet. There were signifcant better overall scores in HLS among parents with higher education levels (university degree or higher with more than under high school graduated).


Author(s):  
Gabrielle H. Saunders ◽  
Leslie Grush ◽  
Jay Vachhani ◽  
Katharina V. Echt ◽  
Susan Griest ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Age-related changes (both normal and pathological), and health literacy are relevant to audiological practice. Changes associated with the musculoskeletal, vascular, and nervous systems drive manual, visual, and cognitive function. These in turn affect the capabilities required for effective hearing aid (HA) skill acquisition, use, and management. Meanwhile, health literacy influences the ability to gain access to, understand, and use information, which is important for promoting and maintaining HA use and management. Understanding the interindividual variability of these variables can help audiologists characterize those individuals who might have suboptimal HA outcomes. This knowledge can then inform better clinical practices and guide implementation of processes to improve care quality and outcomes. Purpose The aim of the study is to assess the variation in manual, visual, and cognitive function, and health literacy, among community-dwelling older individuals, and to determine whether and which of these variables are associated with reported HA outcome and/or the knowledge and skill to manage HAs. Research Design Data presented here were collected as part of an efficacy trial of four variants of HA orientation. The data were collected at baseline (prior to HA fitting) and after 4 to 8 weeks of HA use. Study Sample The study sample consists of 265 U.S. Veterans aged 51 to 87 years with no previous HA experience who were scheduled to receive their first pair of HAs from the Veterans Administration. Data Collection and Analysis We assessed baseline measures of hand function, vision, cognition, and health literacy just prior to participants receiving their first pair of HAs. HA management skills and knowledge, and HA outcome were measured after 4 to 8 weeks of HA use using the Hearing Aid Skills and Knowledge (HASK) and International Outcomes Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA), respectively. Data collected here was compared with published norms to assess variation in baseline measures. Associations between baseline performance and outcomes data were examined using t-tests comparing participants who performed at or above age-based norms with those who performed below age-based norms. Results Participants' performance on the baseline measures was highly variable, with the proportions of individuals performing below norms varying by test measure. When combining data across the nine baseline measures, approximately 10% of participants performed below published norms on five or more measures, and 85% performed below norms on at least one measure. Poor manual dexterity, ability to learn a new task, and ability to draw inferences from spoken information negatively impacted HA management and outcome. Conclusion There was a considerable heterogeneity among a community-dwelling sample of first time HA users in terms of sensory, cognitive, and motor function. Clinicians should consider modifying their clinical practice to account for such heterogeneity and best support their patients in adapting to new HAs.


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