Evaluating the Effectiveness of QR Code in Expansion of Reach Out and Read Carolinas' Initiative to Increase Health Literacy on Oral Health and Vaccinations

Abstract

Poor health literacy, or HL, is crucial in predicting less optimal health outcomes. Low HL can negatively affect informed decision-making in important healthcare decisions. Therefore, parental health literacy is of immeasurable value in ensuring the health of future generations. Technology has introduced new methods of information delivery and positively impacted the patient learning experience. In 2021, a pilot project between East Carolina University students and Reach Out and Read Carolinas successfully improved the parental health literacy of oral health and pediatric immunizations for ages zero to five years in counties in North Carolina by utilizing a Quick Response (QR) code. This DNP project focused on expanding the use of this QR code in new pediatric sites for ages zero to five years in Mecklenburg and Johnston counties. Like its predecessor, this DNP project collected data on website traffic and analyzed results from parental surveys to determine the effectiveness of learning materials on parental health literacy. This quality improvement project was completed in collaboration with ROR Carolinas, Eastern AHEC, and Charlotte AHEC.