Health Literacy and Its Role in Patient Preparation
Course Objectives
- Define health literacy and explain why it is essential in phlebotomy
- Identify common barriers to health literacy, including patient-specific and system-related challenges
- Apply best practices such as plain language, teach-back, and cultural sensitivity to improve patient understanding
- Describe how health literacy impacts patient safety, informed consent, and specimen accuracy
Course Content
Course Creator: Adriana Alley CMA
Total CE Hours: 1 Credit Hour
Pace Course #: 586-2131-25
Outline:
- Overview
- Learning objectives
- Introduction to health literacy
- Statistics & Consequences of Low Health Literacy
- Misunderstanding pre-test instructions
- Misunderstandings with medical forms
- Address patient anxiety, mistrust, or refusal
- Phlebotomist’s role in patient preparation
- Recognizing Health Literacy Barriers in Phlebotomy
- Patient Specific Barriers
- Language or cultural differences
- Anxiety and Fear
- System Barriers
- Medical Forms
- Instructions
- Patient Specific Barriers
- Phlebotomist Best Practices
- Using Clear Language
- Teach Back Method
- Cultural Sensitivity
- Visual Aids and Technology
- Legal, Ethical, OSHA, and NIOSHA Considerations
- Impact on Outcomes
References:
- An introduction to health literacy. (n.d.). NNLM. https://www.nnlm.gov/guides/intro-health-literacy
- Importance of health literacy. (2024, October 16). Health Literacy. https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/older-adults/importance-health-literacy.html
- Safe Patient Handling. (n.d.). OSHA. https://www.osha.gov/healthcare/safe-patient-handling
- Ethical principles. (n.d.). https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/learning/safetyculturehc/module-5/11.html
- Berkman, N. D., Sheridan, S. L., Donahue, K. E., Halpern, D. J., & Crotty, K. (2011). Low health literacy and health outcomes: An updated systematic review. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216031
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2015). Health literacy and health outcomes: Workshop summary. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK518849
- Ha, J. F., & Longnecker, N. (2010). Doctor–patient communication: A review. Ochsner Journal, 10(1), 38–43. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6155979
- Paasche-Orlow, M. K., & Wolf, M. S. (2007). The causal pathways linking health literacy to health outcomes. American Journal of Health Behavior, 31(Suppl 1), S19–S26. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2668931
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Health literacy. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/health-literacy
