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Patients' Health Literacy and Experience With Instructions

Influence Preferences for Heart Failure Medication Instructions

Beckman Institute and the Institute of Aviation University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, dgm{at}uiuc.edu

Michael Weiner, MD, MPH

Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis The Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana The Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Indianapolis

Douglas Steinley, PhD

University of Missouri-Columbia

James Young, PharmD

Wishard Health Services, Indianapolis, Indiana

Michael D. Murray, PharmD, MPH

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Objective: We developed a pharmacist-based patient education intervention to improve older adults' adherence to chronic heart failure (CHF) medications, which included written patient-centered instructions. The study evaluated these instructions by examining whether patients preferred them to standard pharmacy instructions. Method: Elders diagnosed with CHF participated in the randomized controlled trial (83 in the intervention; 153 in usual care control group). Instruction preferences were collected after 6 months of participation. Results: Patient-centered instructions were preferred for learning about adherence information (e.g., schedule) and standard instructions for learning about drug interactions. Preference for the patient-centered instructions was greater for intervention versus control participants and for participants with lower health literacy. Literacy no longer predicted preferences with patients' cognitive abilities controlled, suggesting literacy reflected more fundamental cognitive mechanisms. Discussion: The finding that preferences varied with patients' experience using the instructions and cognitive abilities suggests instructions should accommodate diverse patient needs and abilities.

Key Words: medication instructions • health literacy • health communication • chronic heart failure

Journal of Aging and Health, Vol. 19, No. 4, 575-593 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0898264307304448


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