Health literacy may not
typically be thought of as a controversial subject. However, a study from the
University of Texas reveals that online communities are highlighting a distinct
disagreement regarding whether the responsibility of health literacy is on the
individual or on those who disseminate health information (Mackert, Love,
Donovan-Kicken & Uhle, 2011). Some argue that people need education to
learn how to read health information. Others recognize the confusing nature of
health information and believe that the government, health professionals and pharmaceutical
companies should do their part to ensure clear communication. An article in the
journal Nursing Outlook, states that “leading educators, researchers,
practioners, and administrators in each relevan discipline have a
responsibility to…identify the most promising practices to improve health
literacy in their domain” (Baur, 2011).
While some participants
in the University of Texas study made statements that implied a person deserved
the negative consequences of not understanding drug labels with comments such as:
The problem is with the idiots that
take 1000mg and then can’t wait for it to work so they take another 2-4 in an
hour or so. The people that are stupid and don’t read the bottle that says “DO
NOT TAKE MORE THAN XXX in a 24 hour period.” It’s clear as day on the fricking
bottle. So we ban something because the average person is too stupid to read
the bottle? (Mackert, Love, Donovan-Kicken & Uhle, 2011)
Other comments, such as the following, reflected a more
complex issue with health literacy and drug usage which is a common concern
among Americans:
I’ve read the warnings on the damn
drugs, and they seem to be intentionally written to be confusing. They are
definitely not written to be understood, especially in how different drugs
might interact. Is it safe to take Ibuprofen with Acetaminophen? How should I
know? What about Aspirin? Again, how should I know? (Mackert, Love,
Donovan-Kicken & Uhle, 2011)
Comments such as these
clearly depict the range of feelings on who holds the responsibility of
clearly communicating health information. However, the National
Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy calls all parties to action for the
betterment of our society as a whole (CDC, 2010). As health educators, we must
acknowledge the concerns of the citizens so that we can better understand the
challenges we face. At the same time, we must accept responsibility for our
part in making health literacy a priority for those we serve.
Hi Sophia,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Health literacy is a big concern. I can see how people are confused with all the medical information. The comments regarding just taking OTC medications accurately reflect what we as health professionals have to think about. Yes, people should read the bottle but there is a lot of overwhelming information to sift through. How do you distinguish what's the most pertinent information? I feel that most of those labels are not written to help the consumer but rather to legally protect the seller. People do need to be more responsible but we also need to make greater effort to provide the education necessary as well as communicate health information in a clear and concise manner.
I agree a great post. You made me think of the medication inserts that come with the prescriptions my family takes. My husband and I take a few maintenance drugs each month. We get the same pages of inserts every month. We have read them several times. Most of the information is straight forward and easy enough to understand but there are at least three pages to one insert. A lot of information.
ReplyDeleteOne line that is found on many inserts is "If you are allergic to any ingredient in this medicine, do not use". However, nowhere on the insert are the ingredients listed. Many drugs in pill or capsule form are made up of fillers, inert ingredients, as well as the actual medication. How do you tell if you are allergic to anything in this medication? You need to know what is being consumed. Another side to this question is if all of the ingredients were listed, would an individual really know if they are allergic to any part of them?
I agree the information listed on the packaging and inserts is more for the protection of the manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies than for the education of the consumer.
It's unfortunate that people take their literacy for granted and expect everyone else to understand how to use prescribed medicine. It also seems a little difficult to have the companies and medical professionals come to a consensus on how to make their information more readable to everyone. I still think medical professionals have more responsibility to help with health literacy since they are the ones interacting with the consumers. Maybe if everyone involved in the health field did what they could to make sure patients are comfortable with taking their medication there wouldn't be responsibility divided up between each group.
ReplyDeleteSophia, I agree that the medical professional should be responsible for helping the patient understand their medications and how to use them. But, I’m sure it is hard for physicians to determine which of their patients cannot read the medicine bottle and correctly follow the instructions. I am wondering if the pharmaceutical companies ever consider how their information is presented? As a consumer, I know I hardly ever take the time to read medicine bottle inserts because they are written in extremely small print and the information is never easy to understand. I agree that all parties need to come to the table and try to figure out how to solve this national dilemma. Health literacy definitely needs to be a priority. Thanks for the compelling post. Kay
ReplyDeleteI would agree that it is confusing and proper actions to need to be taken. To many times is the government having a knee jerk reaction and pulling medication only because people are not taking the time to know what to take and what not to take for the medication. Additionally, medication is changing so quickly, once we know what to do with a medication, then it may not be made available. Once the drug is on the market for a certain period of time, then a generic can be made, thus saving people money. Although many times once generics are made for the drug, companies stop making it due to as they would say "it is not profitable to make as a generic." It is not profitable or profitable enough. Advertising needs to stop so doctors can make the decisions properly for their patient and not people trying to self medicate themselves.
ReplyDelete