Health Literacy and Health-Care Engagement as Predictors of Shared Decision-Making Among Adult Information Seekers in the USA: a Secondary Data Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey
- 2 June 2016
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Journal of Cancer Education
- Vol. 33 (1), 67-73
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-016-1052-z
Abstract
The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between health literacy, health-care engagement, and shared decision-making (SDM). We analyzed Health Information National Trends Survey 4 (cycle 3) data for 1604 information seekers who had one or more non-emergency room health-care visits in the previous year. SDM was more than two times higher among adults who “always” versus “usually/sometimes/never” take health information to doctor visits (OR = 2.54; 95 % CI 1.19–5.43). There was a twofold increase in SDM among adults who were “completely/very confident” versus “somewhat/a little/not confident” about finding health information (OR = 2.03; 95 % CI 1.37–3.02). Differences in SDM between adults who understood health information and those who had difficulty understanding health information were not statistically significant (OR = 1.39; 95 % CI 0.93–2.07). A Healthy People 2020 goal is to increase SDM. Previous research has suggested that SDM may improve health outcomes across the continuum of care. Only about half of adults report always being involved in health-care decisions. Even more alarming is the fact that SDM has not increased from 2003 to 2013. Our findings suggest that increasing health literacy has the potential to increase health-care engagement and subsequently increase SDM. Effective intervention strategies are needed to improve health literacy and promote health-care engagement.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Cancer Institute (K01CA175239)
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- Do Men Receive Information Required for Shared Decision Making About PSA Testing? Results from a National SurveyJournal of Cancer Education, 2015
- Cancer survivors’ receipt of treatment summaries and implications for patient-centered communication and quality of carePatient Education and Counseling, 2015
- Shared decision making: really putting patients at the centre of healthcareBMJ, 2012
- Adherence, shared decision-making and patient autonomyMedicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 2011
- Shared decision-making and patient autonomyTheoretical Medicine and Bioethics, 2009
- Shared Decision Making, Paternalism and Patient ChoiceHealth Care Analysis, 2009
- Patient health literacy and participation in the health‐care processHealth Expectations, 2008
- Systematic Review of the Effects of Shared Decision-Making on Patient Satisfaction, Treatment Adherence and Health StatusPsychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 2008
- Shared decision-making in primary care: Tailoring the Charles et al. model to fit the context of general practicePatient Education and Counseling, 2006
- Shared decision making: developing the OPTION scale for measuring patient involvementQuality and Safety in Health Care, 2003