Health literacy and adherence to treatment of patients with heart failure

ABSTRACT Objective: To relate the level of functional health literacy with adherence and barriers to non-adherence, rehospitalization, readmission and death in patients with heart failure. Method: A cross-sectional, analytical study with patients admitted to the emergency room with a diagnosis of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP
Main Authors: Monica Isabelle Lopes Oscalices, Meiry Fernanda Pinto Okuno, Maria Carolina Barbosa Teixeira Lopes, Ruth Ester Assayag Batista, Cassia Regina Vancini Campanharo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SciELO
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Online Access:http://revodonto.bvsalud.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0080-62342019000100444&lng=en&tlng=en
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT Objective: To relate the level of functional health literacy with adherence and barriers to non-adherence, rehospitalization, readmission and death in patients with heart failure. Method: A cross-sectional, analytical study with patients admitted to the emergency room with a diagnosis of heart failure. Literacy was assessed by the Newest Vital Sign. Patient adherence to medication treatment and barriers to non-compliance were assessed 90 days after discharge by the Morisky-Green test and the Brief Medical Questionnaire, respectively. Results: 100 patients participated in the study. The mean age was 63.3 years (± 15.2), with a predominance of white women. Medication adherence was low in 41.1% of participants, of which 55.9% presented inadequate literacy. Re-hospitalization and death were present in patients with inadequate literacy (p<0.001). Conclusion: The low level of literacy was directly related to lower adherence and the presence of barriers to medication adherence, as well as higher rehospitalization rates and death.
ISSN:1980-220X