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Low health literacy linked to death after HF hospitalization
In patients who were hospitalized for HF, lower health literacy was associated with increased risk for death, according to recent study data.
Researchers analyzed 1,379 patients (mean age, 63.1 years; 41% women; 76.4% white) hospitalized for acute HF between November 2010 and June 2013 and followed them through December 2013. Median follow-up was 20.7 months (interquartile range, 12.8-29.6).
Patients were stratified by Brief Health Literacy Screen score at admission; 23.5% had low health literacy, which was defined as a score of 9 or less.
The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included time to first rehospitalization within 90 days of discharge and time to first ED visit within 90 days of discharge.
During the study period, 29.2% of patients died. Compared with those with a Brief Health Literacy Screen score of more than 9, those with a score of 9 or less had an increased hazard for death (HR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.04-1.73), according to the researchers.
They found no difference between the groups in time to first rehospitalization within 90 days of discharge (HR = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.83-1.36) or time to first ED visit within 90 days of discharge (HR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.61-1.25).
“Having health literacy measured by nurses during routine care may be an important way for us to determine which patients may need more help after discharge,” Candace D. McNaughton, MD, MPH, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, said in a press release. “However, we still need to determine what exactly to do for those with low health literacy. Should we simplify their medication regimen? Follow them in the outpatient setting more frequently or sooner after discharge? Give them extra resources like home health care? We don’t know the answers to those questions yet.” – by Erik Swain
Disclosure: One researcher reports consulting for Alere Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter, Novartis, Roche Diagnostics and Trevena.