Background: Low Health Literacy (HL) is associated with poor health outcomes (1), higher utilization of care, increased risk for hospitalization and increased risk for 30-day rehospitalization (2). HL is composed of three components which includes obtaining the information (reading), comprehending the information and applying it to one’s daily life (3). Patients may master one component, [...]

Background: Hospital-associated sleep loss and poor overall sleep efficiency are associated with poor glycemic control and exacerbated insulin resistance. in diabetic patients. The relationship between sleep, sleep hygiene, and diabetes is confounded by social determinants of health, such as health literacy. The evaluation of insomnia often utilizes complex sleep diaries or logs that may not [...]

Background: The hospital discharge is one of the most important aspects of a patient’s hospitalization, yet in residency training, this process often goes overlooked. Most residents are never properly taught how to effectively discharge a hospitalized patient. As a sequelae, patients often lack understanding about their hospitalization, treatment(s), and follow up plans. This uncertainty can [...]

Background: eHealth interventions provide opportunities to enhance asthma or COPD self-management, though eHealth literacy (eHL) needs to be evaluated in this population. We evaluated the association between eHL and self-efficacy, as well as the willingness to use eHealth applications in patients hospitalized for chronic lung diseases (i.e., asthma and COPD). Methods: This cross-sectional observational study [...]

Background: In the US, 60% of adults have at least one chronic disease (such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease) and 42% have more than one. Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability and significantly contributes to annual healthcare spending (1). Studies have shown that patient education interventions can improve outcomes in [...]

Background: Inhaled treatments are the cornerstone of management of obstructive lung disease, though patients frequently misuse inhalers, leading to worse disease outcomes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased interest in video-module based interventions for patients with chronic diseases. However, patients’ ability to interact with such educational resources necessitates access to technology and proficiency [...]

Background: As hospital care becomes increasingly reliant on technology, it is important to address disparities in access and use of technology among hospitalized patients. While access to technology itself is becoming more widespread, older inpatients may still experience technology-related disparities due to varying abilities to use/obtain support for technology use. We sought to compare access, [...]

Background: Functional health literacy includes the ability to receive information, comprehend its meaning, and put it into action. Patients’ health literacy level has been found to be a stronger correlate of health status than education level and other sociodemographic variables. Individuals with below basic/basic health literacy utilize the healthcare system more often and spend more [...]

Background: The period following hospital discharge is a vulnerable time for patients when increased self-care requirements are common. Low levels of health literacy and social support are thought to contribute to poor post-discharge outcomes. However, little research has specifically examined the role of health literacy alone or in combination with social support in predicting readmission [...]

Background: Health literacy (HL) is the measure of a person’s ability to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.1 Previous studies note positive correlation between high HL and patient understanding of their condition.2 Patients with low HL have greater needs in transitional care domains, citing inadequate caregiver support [...]