meganfloyd replied to your post: 42% of hospital patients cannot understand...
When I am in the hospital, I am handed my medicine by a nurse and told to take it immediately. I don’t SEE any prescription directions. I do what the nurse says. Are these prescriptions filled at a hospital pharmacy for discharged patients?
thereluctantbeliever replied to your post: 42% of hospital patients cannot understand...
it all boils down on how a medical practitioner communicates with his patient. if the patient didn’t understand the direction then there is something wrong with how we communicate with them.
This study was referring to patients who were being discharged from the hospital, and had received prescriptions to fill at the hospital pharmacy on the way out. The researchers asked them to "explain back" the printed instructions on the labels. 42% couldn't explain what the phrase "take this on an empty stomach" meant.
This situation had nothing to do with how the doctor was communicating with the patient verbally -- this study was looking at the impacts of "health literacy" and "illiteracy" on patient compliance to medical treatment plans. Other studies show that most medical/pharmacy handouts are written at a high-school-literacy level, yet many patients' literacy is 8th grade or lower. COMMUNICATION FAIL.