The Role of Health Literacy in Reducing Healthcare Costs and Referring to the Hospital among Elderly
Journal of Medical Library and Information Science,
Vol. 2 (2021),
1 January 2021
,
Page 1-6
https://doi.org/10.22037/jmlis.v2i.33107
Abstract
Introduction: Health literacy is the capacity of individuals to obtain, process and understand information about basic health services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Inadequate health literacy is associated with a variety of adverse health consequences and inappropriate use of health care. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between patients' health literacy level and the cost of treatment among the elderly.
Methods: The present study was a descriptive-analytical study. The research sample was 1008 main pensioners of the Social Security Organization in Ahvaz. The research instruments were two questionnaires entitled Test Of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) and Health Services Utilization Questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS software. Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation) and analytical statistics (Pearson and Spearman correlation) with a significance level of 0.5 were used.
Results: The findings of this study showed that more than 80% of the participants have inadequate health literacy. The results also show the inverse and negative relationship between people's health literacy and the number of referrals to health centers and also its inverse relationship with treatment costs.
Conclusion: Improving the level of health literacy reduces the cost of treatment in the health system and also increases the level of welfare and health in individuals, and this is especially important in the elderly whose health needs are higher than ordinary people. To educate and promote health literacy, one must turn to social contact points with the elderly, including libraries and librarians.
- Health Literacy, Elderly, Treatment Costs, Ahvaz
How to Cite
References
Virlée J, van Riel ACR, Hammedi W. Health literacy and its effects on well-being: how vulnerable healthcare service users integrate online resources. J Serv Mark. 2020. 34(5): 697-715. DOI: 10.1108/JSM-02-2019-0057.
Intarakamhang U, Macaskill A. Multi-group Causal Model of Health Literacy and Behaviors on Family Well-being among Thai Adults at Risk of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). J Res Health Sci .2018.18(4). Available from: http://jrhs.umsha.ac.ir/index.php/JRHS/article/view/4233/pdf.
Amoah PA. Social participation, health literacy, and health and well-being: A cross-sectional study in Ghana. SSM - Popul Health. 2018. 4: 263-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.02.005.
Fiedler S, Pfaff H, Soellner R, Pförtner TK. Exploring the association between health literacy and psychological well-being among industry managers in Germany. J Occup Environ Med. 2018. 60(8): 743-53. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001324.
Ponzani V. Health literacy: Libraries and librarians for the well-being of citizens. AIB Studi. 2017. 57(3): 433-43. DOI: 10.2426/aibstudi-11751.
Khosravi A, Arastoopour Sh, Ahmadzadeh Kh. The role of librarians and libraries in promoting public health literacy: A case study of the health literacy status of diabetic patients in Shiraz health centers. In: Azami M, Alizadeh M. Library and people. Proceedings of the First National Conference on the Library and Information Association; 2013 October 17-18; Kerman, Iran. Tehran, Chapar; 2013. Available from: http://profdoc.um.ac.ir/articles/a/1070870.pdf. [in Persian]
Shabani H, Rezayatmand MR, Mohammadi F. Determinants of Health Expenditures in Iran and Other Country Members of Perspective Document of Iran-1404 Health Information Management. 2019. 16(1): 18-23. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4898847/pdf/mjiri-30-313.pdf.
Ageing. World Health Organization. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageing.
Safarkhanlou H. Rezaei Ghahroudi Z. Developments of the elderly population in Iran and the world. Statistics Bimonthly. September 2018; 5(3): 16-8. Available from: http://amar.srtc.ac.ir/article-1-298-fa.pdf. [in Persian]
The aging status of the Iranian population up to the next 33 years. Online Economics. Available from: https://bit.ly/3joZs4h. [in Persian]
Yahyavi Dizaj J, Tajvar M, Mohammadzadeh Y. The Effect of the Presence of an Elderly Member on Health Care Costs of Iranian Households. Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing. 2020; 14 (4) :462-77.
Available from: http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1668-fa.html. [in Persian]
Habibi Sola A, Nikpoor S, Rezaei M, Haghani H. Health Promotion Behaviours and Level of Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Among Elderly People in West Region of Tehran: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing. 2007; 2(3): 331-9. Available from: http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-44-fa.html. [in Persian]
Fathi, A; Sarkhil, b. A perspective on the population aging in Iran and the world. Statistics Bimonthly. September 2013; 1(1): 23-6. [in Persian]
Baur C. The national action plan to improve health literacy. US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 2010. Available from: https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Health_Literacy_Action_Plan.pdf.
Rubenstein EL. Health Information and Health Literacy: Public Library Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities. Public Libr Q. 2016 Jan 2. 35(1): 49-71. DOI: 10.1080/01616846.2016.1163974.
Shipman JP, Kurtz-Rossi S, Funk CJ. The Health Information Literacy Research Project. J Med Libr Assoc JMLA. 2009 Oct. 97(4): 293-301. DOI: 10.3163/1536-5050.97.4.014.
Howard DH, Gazmararian J, Parker RM. The impact of low health literacy on the Medical costs of Medicare managed care enrollees. The Journal of Medicine. 2005; 118(4): 371-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2005.01.010.
Gordon MM, Hampson R, Capell HA, Madhok R. Illiteracy in rheumatoid arthritis patients as determined by the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy (REALM) score. Rheumatology. 2002. 41(7): 750-4. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/41.7.750.
Baker DW, Gazmararian JA, Williams MV, Scott T, Parker RM, Green D, Ren J, Peel J. Functional health literacy and the risk of hospital admission among Medicare managed care enrollees. American Journal of Public Health. 2002. 92(8): 1278-83. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.92.8.1278.
HAJDUCHOVÁ H, BÁRTLOVÁ S, BRABCOVÁ I, MOTLOVÁ L, ŠEDOVÁ L, TÓTHOVÁ V. Zdravotní gramotnost seniorů a její vliv na zdraví a ćerpání zdravotních slušeb [Health literacy of seniors and its impact on health and the use of health services]. Prakt Lék. 2017. 97(5): 223-7.
Ran M, Peng L, Liu Q, Pender M, He F, Wang H. The association between quality of life (QOL) and health literacy among junior middle school students: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2018. 18(1): 1183. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-6082-5.
Zheng M, Jin H, Shi N, Duan C, Wang D, Yu X, et al. The relationship between health literacy and quality of life: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2018. 16(1): 1-10. DOI: 10.1186/s12955-018-1031-7.
Ture DA, Demirci H, Sengoren Dikis O. The relationship between health literacy and disease specific costs in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aging male. 2018: 1-7. DOI: 10.1080/13685538.2018.1501016.
Izadirad H, Zareban I. The Relationship of Health Literacy with Health status, Preventive Behaviors and Health services Utilization in Baluchistan, Iran. J Educ Community Health. 2015; 2(3): 43-50. Available from: http://jech.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-122-fa.html. [in Persian]
Tehrani Banihashemi S, Haghdoost A, Amirkhani M, Haghdoost A, Alavian S, Asgharifard H, et al. Health Literacy and the Influencing Factors: A Study in Five Provinces of Iran. Strides in Development of Medical Education. 2007; 4(1): 1-9. Available from: http://sdme.kmu.ac.ir/article_90113_07890200104cffd2e9576329dbdb4c48.pdf. [in Persian]
Reisi M, Mostafavi F, Hasanzadeh A, Sharifirad G. The Relationship between Health Literacy, Health status and Healthy behaviors among Elderly in Isfahan. J Health Syst Res. 2011; 7(4). Available from: http://azh.mui.ac.ir/index.php/jhsr/article/view/256. [in Persian]
Kamali Z. Investigating the relationship between health literacy level and different dimensions of health in the elderly: A review article. Presented at the National Conference on Tactics for Improving the Quality of Nursing and Midwifery Services. 2014. Available at: https://www.sid.ir/FileServer/SF/6271393h04274.pdf. [in Persian]
Mohseni M, Khanjani N, Iranpour A, Tabe R, Borhaninejad VR. The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Health Status Among Elderly People in Kerman. Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing. 2015; 10(2) :146-55. Available from:
http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-790-fa.html. [in Persian]
Behrooz Sh, Jafarzadeh Fakhari M. Examining health literacy and health-related quality of life in the elderly with diabetes in Mashhad (nutrition and health area). Paper presented at the annual academic conference of Sabzevar medical students. 2016. Available from: https://www.sid.ir/FileServer/SF/4681395h0348.pdf. [in Persian]
Haji Begloo A, Haji Begloo A., Zaghari Tafreshi M. Relationship between health literacy and general health and health behaviors among the elderly of Gorgan. Paper presented at the National Conference on Healthy Lifestyle. 2016. Available from: https://www.sid.ir/FileServer/SF/5811395h0148.pdf. [in Persian]
Rajabzadeh R, Hosseini H, HekmatAra A, Pourianmehr N. The relationship between health literacy level and physical health status among the elderly in Bojnourd. Paper presented at the 2nd Tabari Annual National Congress of Students and the 22nd Annual Congress of the Student Research Committee of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. 2018. Available from: https://civilica.com/doc/956390/.[in Persian]
Pourjam R. Health literacy, a factor influencing the lifestyle of the elderly: A systematic review. Paper presented in the 12th conference of health sciences’ new-founds in the country. 2018. Available from: https://civilica.com/doc/935690. [in Persian]
Nekoei-Moghadam M, Parva S, Amiresmaili Baneshi M. Health Literacy and Utilization of health Services in Kerman urban area 2011. TB. 2013; 11(4): 123-34. Available from:
http://tbj.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-364-fa.html. [in Persian]
Mohtasham Amiri Z, Naghshpour P, Jafari Shakib A. A study on the pattern of utilization of health services by the rural community of Guilan province in 2003. Hakim. 2003; 10(2): 50-5. https://www.sid.ir/fa/journal/ViewPaper.aspx?id=67505. [in Persian]
No-Kohan Ahvazi K, Sahaf R, Akbari Kamrani AA. Drug Prescription Patterns of Out Patient Medication for Older People Insured by Social Organization Insurance in Year 2009. Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing. 2012; 6(S1): 14-23. Available from: http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-475-fa.html. [in Persian]
Evans DB, World Health Organization. The World health report 2010: health systems financing: the path to universal coverage. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010. Available from: https://www.who.int/whr/2010/whr10_en.pdf?ua=1.
Aliasquarpoor M, Eybpoosh S. The Quality of Life of Elderly Nursing Home Residents and Its Relationship with Different Factors. IJN. 2012; 25(75): 60-70
Available from: http://ijn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1256-fa.html. [in Persian]
- Abstract Viewed: 231 times
- e15 (PDF) Downloaded: 245 times