Health Literacy in Occupational Therapy Research: A Scoping Review
Description
PURPOSE: Low health literacy is a significant problem in the United States. Patient education is a key component of occupational therapy intervention. Occupational therapists have the skills to develop patient education materials (PEMs) that are easy to access and understand. Few studies on health literacy exist in occupational therapy research. The purpose of this study is to summarize the breadth of literature on health literacy in occupational therapy research and identify existing knowledge gaps. SUBJECTS: The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed studies, published in English, focused on health literacy, and within the context of occupational therapy practice. Exclusion criteria were reports, editorials, opinion pieces, dissertations, theses, and conference abstracts. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A scoping review methodological framework (Arksey and O’Malley, 2005; Levac et al., 2010) was used to search five databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist (Tricco et al., 2018) was also applied. ANALYSES: Descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis were used to summarize the results. RESULTS: Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Key concepts and common themes from the literature were identified and summarized. Knowledge gaps include the impact of low health literacy on patient outcomes, guidelines for appraising and modifying PEMs, and the effectiveness of modified PEMs. CONCLUSION: Health outcomes are negatively impacted by a mismatch between patient reading ability and the readability (i.e., grade level) of PEMs. There is a need to establish evidence-based guidelines and a standard of care for patients with low health literacy.
Health Literacy in Occupational Therapy Research: A Scoping Review
PURPOSE: Low health literacy is a significant problem in the United States. Patient education is a key component of occupational therapy intervention. Occupational therapists have the skills to develop patient education materials (PEMs) that are easy to access and understand. Few studies on health literacy exist in occupational therapy research. The purpose of this study is to summarize the breadth of literature on health literacy in occupational therapy research and identify existing knowledge gaps. SUBJECTS: The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed studies, published in English, focused on health literacy, and within the context of occupational therapy practice. Exclusion criteria were reports, editorials, opinion pieces, dissertations, theses, and conference abstracts. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A scoping review methodological framework (Arksey and O’Malley, 2005; Levac et al., 2010) was used to search five databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist (Tricco et al., 2018) was also applied. ANALYSES: Descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis were used to summarize the results. RESULTS: Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Key concepts and common themes from the literature were identified and summarized. Knowledge gaps include the impact of low health literacy on patient outcomes, guidelines for appraising and modifying PEMs, and the effectiveness of modified PEMs. CONCLUSION: Health outcomes are negatively impacted by a mismatch between patient reading ability and the readability (i.e., grade level) of PEMs. There is a need to establish evidence-based guidelines and a standard of care for patients with low health literacy.