Health Literacy Improvement Project

Abstract

Limited or low health literacy has been linked with negative patient outcomes, higher healthcare costs, and difficulty in healthcare decision making. The goal of the Doctor of Nursing Practice project is to improve the health literacy of pediatric caregivers by offering a reliable resource that provides information on childhood illnesses, suggestions for symptom relief for minor illnesses and injuries, and care guides to assist in decision making. Educational resources utilized were the American Academy of Pediatrics’ KidsDoc mobile app, navigational instructions for HealthyChildren.org, or a book about childhood illnesses. Participants included 75 pediatric caregivers visiting a not-for-profit rural hospital emergency department for a non-urgent illness. Telephone interviews at four and eight weeks were conducted to determine the impact of introducing the educational resources on pediatric caregivers’ health knowledge. Major findings from the project indicate an increase in mobile device utilization, a preference for mobile apps as an educational tool, and an increase in health knowledge of pediatric caregivers. Results imply that technological-based health information such as the KidsDoc app can improve patient outcomes, impact nursing practice, and reduce healthcare costs. Future studies on technology-based educational resources and its effects on health literacy are recommended.