Abstract
Introduction: Low health literacy is a widespread issue in the United States, particularly among Spanish-speaking communities like those in Southwest Florida. This lack of health literacy leads to higher mortality rates, poor patient comprehension, and communication barriers. Purpose: Improving patient safety and outcomes requires addressing low health literacy. Screening identifies at-risk patients, enabling targeted interventions such as Spanish-language materials to address issues such as missed appointments and medication management, improving care for Spanish-speaking individuals. PICOT Question: In Spanish speaking Hispanic adults, ages 18-85, attending a local Hispanic church, what is the effect of implementing the National Institutes of Health Literacy Curriculum on health literacy and self-efficacy scores over a 4-week period? Methodology: This project aimed to measure the impact of a health literacy intervention at a local Hispanic church in Southwest Florida. The 4-week intervention consisted of educational sessions designed by the National Institutes of Health. The Pfizer Newest Vital Sign and BRIEF Health Literacy Screening Tools were used pre- and post-intervention to assess efficacy, with the goal of improving participants' health literacy and health outcomes. Results: The post-intervention survey results demonstrated an 82% improvement in health literacy, as measured by the Pfizer NVS. a p-value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant. The SPSS Asymp. Sig (2-tailed) value p = 0.008 is less than 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Furthermore, a Wilcoxon Sign-Rank Test indicated post-intervention ranks for the Newest Vital Sign health literacy scores were statistically significantly higher than the pre-intervention ranks (Z = -2.673, p < 0.05) indicating there is a difference in pre- versus post-intervention rank score. Pre- and post-intervention assessments showed improvements in understanding written health information and confidence in reading hospital materials on the BRIEF Survey. There was an 82% improvement on the Newest Vital Sign Health Literacy Survey post intervention. Additionally, there was a 66% reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Significance/Impact: The intervention improved participants' ability to understand health information and increased confidence in navigating hospital materials. The 66% decrease in blood pressure also demonstrates the direct, positive effect of enhanced health literacy on participants' health outcomes.