Testing the utility of the newest vital sign (NVS) health literacy assessment tool in older African-American patients

• Published in: Patient education and counseling Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 505 - 507
• Main Authors: Patel, Pragnesh J., Joel, Steinberg, Rovena, Goveas, Pedireddy, Sailja, Saad, Saima, Rachmale, Ruchi, Shukla, Meghna, Deol, B. Bibban, Cardozo, Lavosier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.12.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Black American people; Cohort Studies; Educational Status; Elderly; Elderly people; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Health education; Health literacy; Health Literacy - methods; Health Literacy - trends; Humans; Internal Medicine; Literacy; Male; Mass Screening - statistics & numerical data; Mass Screening - utilization; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Newest vital sign health literacy assessment tool; Patients; Predictive Value of Tests; Primary Health Care - methods; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Screening; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Vital Signs; Newest vital sign health literacy assessment tool; Health literacy; Elderly; Human; Evaluation; Questionnaire; Education level; Evaluation scale; Health; Knowledge
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2011.03.014

To evaluate utility of the newest vital sign (NVS) which can be completed in 3min compared to the short version test of functional literacy in adults (S-TOFHLA) that takes 7min for health literacy in the older African American patients. We enrolled 62 older (age>65 years) African American patients and administered the NVS and the S-TOFHLA. A score of less than 4 for the NVS and less than 16 for the S-TOFHLA was indicative of limited health literacy. Mean age of our patients was 73.2+7.9 years with an average education level of twelfth grade. Using S-TOFHLA 51% of the subjects were deemed to be sufficiently literate, with a score of 23.0+8.6 compared to 56% on the NVS with a score of 3.0+1.9. The average time for completing the NVS was 11min in our patient population. Based on our data, while health literacy level can be assessed with the NVS its practicality as a quick screening tool in the elderly population appears limited. Knowing the level of patient's health literacy may help physicians deliver health information in the format that patients can understand.