Social marketing meets health literacy: Innovative improvement of health care providers’ comfort with patient interaction

• Published in: Patient education and counseling Vol. 68; no. 1; pp. 3 - 9
• Main Authors: Primack, Brian A, Bui, Thuy, Fertman, Carl I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.09.2007
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Attitude of Health Personnel; Clinical Competence; Community health; Cultural competency; Cultural Diversity; Education, Medical, Undergraduate - organization & administration; Educational Status; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health literacy; Health Promotion; Humans; Internal Medicine; Linear Models; Male; Medical student education; Nursing; Patient education; Patient Education as Topic - organization & administration; Patient interaction; Patient–physician communication; Pennsylvania; Physician-Patient Relations; Program Evaluation; Psychological Theory; Psychology, Educational; Racial/ethnic diversity; Self Efficacy; Social Marketing; Students, Medical - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teaching Materials; Pennsylvania; Health literacy; Social marketing; Patient education; Medical student education; Patient–physician communication; Community health; Patient interaction; Cultural competency; Racial/ethnic diversity
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2007.02.009

Abstract Objective It is essential to train health care providers to deliver care sensitive to the needs of diverse individuals with varying degrees of health literacy. We aimed to evaluate an innovative, theory-based, educational intervention involving social marketing and health literacy. Methods In 2006 at a large medical school, all first-year students were exposed to the intervention. They completed pre- and post-test anonymous surveys including demographic data, covariates, and key outcome variables. Paired t -tests and multiple linear regression were used to evaluate the intervention and to determine independent associations among the key outcome variables. Results Post-intervention scores were significantly higher than pre-intervention scores for social marketing (3.31 versus 1.90, p < 0.001), health literacy (3.41 versus 2.98, p < 0.001), and comfort in brochure development (3.11 versus 2.52, p < 0.001) ( N = 83). After controlling for demographic and covariate data, health literacy and comfort in brochure development were independent predictors of comfort interacting with diverse populations. Conclusion A brief intervention involving social marketing and health literacy can improve skills that improve medical students’ comfort with patients of diverse backgrounds. Practice implications Health care providers can be taught educational principles and skills involved in developing effective patient education materials. These skills may improve providers’ comfort with direct patient interaction.