Health Literacy and its Impact on Patients Essay Example for Free

Health Literacy and its Impact on Patients Essay Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Low health literacy has a negative impact on a patients health status and use of the health care system. Patients with low health literacy levels cannot make decisions regarding their health care or follow instructions on medications and health maintenance behaviors. This can affect health care in a variety of ways. It is the health care provider’s responsibility to ensure that patients with low health literacy levels are identified and measures are taken to ensure those patients understand their options and instructions. To educate these patients, health care providers need to develop resources that are easily understood and interview skills that can ensure patient comprehension. Research has shown that patients with a low health literacy level may be more likely to have problems following verbal or written medical advice and medication instructions or understanding health-related materials. This review discusses the commonness of health literacy and its impact on patients and the health care system, and provides recommendations for creating supplemental literature at the appropriate level. The use of these tools and improved physician interview skills will establish a better physician/patient relationship and continue to encourage patient participation in the health care process. By providing the patients with the basic knowledge to understand and adhere to the instructions given to them and the confidence to communicate any questions or concerns, the hospital is promoting a better patient/physician relationship. There was a study conducted in 2003 by the National Assessment on Adult Literacy that was released in 2006 that included a Health Literacy component that evaluated patient’s health literacy in three main categories: clinical, preventative, and navigation of the health care system. These three categories were designed to reflect things that patients would see or be asked to do in their daily lives. There were examples such as following medication instructions, scheduling health screening tests and finding one’s way to the appropriate location for a medical appointment within a health care facility. The results of this study indicated that 36-38 of adults in the United States had a basic or below health literacy level or were not literate in English and could not participate in the assessment. Another 55% of U. S. adults reported having a mid-range level of health literacy which showed room for improvement. Patients who have low health literacy levels often are not able to comprehend and follow the instructions on a medication bottle or determine the dosage information on over-the-counter medications. The inability to understand the information requested on a health care form can prevent an individual from having adequate health care coverage or having access to care when it is needed. If a patient does not have the ability to identify when treatment is needed for a medical condition, make the appointment and navigate through the health care system to be treated, their health can suffer. By not seeking medical attention at the beginning of an illness or not accessing the appropriate point of entry in a health care clinic, the patient is reducing the chance of having a positive health outcome. People with lower health literacy may wait to seek medical attention rather than utilizing preventative health services. These patients often have higher rates of admission and use services that are designed for more critical patient care. When faced with a disease or health care condition, patients are often turning to a variety of places for health information such as the internet, magazines, or books. Adults with basic or below basic health literacy levels did not turn to such resources. Physicians are with a patient such a short amount of time at each visit, yet they have so much they need to provide to the patient. At a visit to the physician several new concepts are being introduced to the adult such as discontinuing a the use of a current prescription, modification of the prescribed dose, or introducing a new medicine. It is of great importance to verify that the patient understands what is being said to them. Asking the patient to demonstrate what they just heard is more effective in gauging whether a patient understands the information. There can be additional time spend with patients, or supplemental materials can be provided to patients who have difficulty processing this critical information. Other factors that can have a negative impact on a person’s comprehension of health-related materials include limited English language skills, chronic health conditions, hearing problems, or vision problems. In order for patients to be able to most effectively use these health education materials, they should be written at lower reading levels using simple words and pictures to emphasize points. Low health literacy is a problem that continues grow in patients in the health care system, contributing to a lack of use of services, often leading to negative health outcomes. Hospitals should focus attention on their forms and the health education materials they are distributing to the patients to ensure that there materials are appropriate for all levels of health literacy. Having forms that are more easily understood may increase a patient’s ability to access and utilize appropriate hospital services. Also by giving patients more appropriate health education materials will encourage them to become more actively involved in their care by providing them with the confidence to make decisions about their treatment. As the individual relationship is built between patient and care team, the trust will follow to ask questions about information that is not clear and seek assistance when it is first needed instead of when it is a critical situation. DeMarco, Joanna. ( 2011, Spring). The Importance of Patient Education Throughout the Cotinuum of Health Care. 295-301. Journal of Consumer Health. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from EBSCOhost.

The Ethics of Fast Food Essay examples -- Philosophy Ethics

So, what exactly is "fast food"? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, " fast- food" is food that is designed for ready availability, use, or consumption and with little consideration given to quality or significance. So, is there even a link between fast food and its technology with ethics? At first, I thought "what I am thinking? I'll never be able to find any information linking the two." To my surprise, there is a plethora of information regarding fast food... And, due to the large number of restaurant chains today, I will mainly focus on McDonald's, perhaps the most popular fast food restaurant today. Professional Issues From humble beginnings in 1955, McDonald’s grew steadily until 1980, when it had 5,213 outlets in the United States. Then, as capital moved into hyper-drive during the age of Reagan, McDonald’s took off, reaching its current level of 12,000+ domestic outlets and another 8,000+ abroad. By 1996, the pace of McDonald’s growth was impressive even by the standards of the times. The Wall Street Journal put it in a headline: the company "wants to run over its competition with a Mack Truck." (1) With the number of actual outlets, specific issues will depend from outlet to outlet. However, in general, the professional issues regarding this case mainly deals with food quality issues. These range from the technology in processing the food to store sanitary policies. First, take the production of the famous McDonald's French fry. During the chain's early years French fries were made from scratch every day. Russet Burbank potatoes were peeled, cut into shoestrings, and fried in McDonald's kitchens. As the chain expanded nationwide, in the mid-1960s, it sought to cut labor costs, reduce the numb... ...w.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/ba2000-12-14.htm> 15 Ethical Decision-making Group Capture Worksheet. <http://cseserv.engr.scu.edu/nquinn/ENGR019/EthicalDecisionMaking.PDF> 16 Ibid. Other sources: http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9806/11/diet.heart.attack/ http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt/22_eating_well.html http://www.eatingbythebook.com/article/art002.html http://www.dietitian.com/fastfood.html http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/features/hoffman/507084 http://members.aol.com/AnneDroidz/mcdsux.html http://www.uta.edu/huma/illuminations/kell30.htm http://www.speakout.com/Issues/Briefs/1333/ http://www.waste.org/~lanshark/vegan/fastfood.html http://www.jambajuice.com, http://www.mcdonalds.com, http://www.tacobell.com, http://www.carlsjr.com, http://www.burgerking.com, http://www.subway.com

Motivation & Leadership Journal Assignment

Journal Assignment What kind of work do you do? Subject is part owner to a computer T1/T2 provider. How long have you been doing it? Subject has being working there for 17 years. Can you describe a typical work day? Subject states that she is on the board and that she overlooks board’s requirements, check incoming and outgoing contracts, mediator, and she sets up all the rules and regulations for the cooperation. Why did you end up doing this work? What kind of person often does this sort of work? (And would they consider themselves typical? Subject stated that she wanted to do this because she wanted to start her own business so that they could help financially stabilize friends, family members, and partners. The sort of person who often does this sort of work is an A typical person who is controlling and strives to have more out of life than what is typical. What do you like about this work? Subject states that she likes the diversity which is incorporated through dealing wi th other companies and also the staff at the company. What is difficult about this work?The difficulty is how people bond to easily which brings their personal life into their work life and how they are not able to separate friendship and work relationship. This open doors to issues like sexual harassment, misconduct, and theft. How do (customers, others in the company†¦ ) treat you? What do they think about the job you do? [Adapt this question to fit your particular interview–try to get at how they think they are treated based on their work. ] Subject states that others are afraid of her and extremely intimidated. Subject states that they do not want the job that she does but they enjoy working for the company.How does being a (fill in the blank with a salient cultural category: man, older person, African-American, 20-something, etc. ) play into the work you do? Subject states that initially there were barrier because of the stuffy suits that could not with having a wom an in charge. There was open defiance, rudeness, and vulgarity. Subject states that she fired member’s board due to their insubordination. Has this work changed the way you think about yourself, about the world? Subject states that she has the ability to separate her work life and personal life.Subject states that she is now a cold, calculating, malicious, and deviant individual due to the desire to have more money and more business for the company as whole. Subject states that personally she is a caring, loving individual but as far as the world goes she believes that there are too many lazy individuals that don’t want to take responsibility for ensuring that task are completed. Subject feels that everyone wants a handout and does not want to earn their livelihood. What are some cultural values that are important to you (can be family, work, or interpersonal)?Do you think these are similar to or different from mainstream American culture? Please explain your ideas. Su bject states that the business world is so much more complicated and unsympathetic to race, religion, politics, and sexuality. Subject states that they really don’t care about cultural values as long as you can perform your job. She also stated that in the business world they are aesthetic creatures who use whatever means necessary to get to the next level. She believes that this is very different from mainstream American culture, almost to the point of being anti-social.What do you like best about American culture? What do you like least? (Even if the person is American, they will have an opinion about this question that gives you some insight about how they view things from their perspective. ) Subjects like the fact that the American culture has a huge melting pot of candidates who are brilliant and talented in the profession that they choose. Due to this fact when the company is in need of candidates with a specific talent it is easier to find a candidate who fits the mol d for that position. AnalysisThink about your interview, the person, and their work. Please consider these questions as you write your journal assignment: What aspects of this person's work determine or indicate their status relative to others? The subjects work environment is one which a wealth of knowledge is extremely necessary in order to be successful. The subject is in the process of completing 4 doctorate degrees. Due to the fact that she is head of the board of directors she is looked up to by her subordinates and is expected to be knowledgeable in all areas of the company.She is a bit anti-social yet still remains professional and approachable to the lowest ranking individual at the company. What are some of the connections between this person's work experience and gender, race, age, and /or ethnicity (etc. )? The actual subject was of Cherokee Indian heritage and this heritage seemed to be at the center of how the subject intertwines her work and still remains true to her culture and tribe. Most of the subject’s knowledge is in large part of how she was raised on the reservation coupled with her age which helps to emphasize the important of maturity when making sound decisions.What kinds of attitudes, values, and behaviors does this person's work culture encourage? The attitudes, values, and behaviors that are displayed at their work culture is that of an air of self-motivation. The individual employee is held accountable for their own success or failure. Excuses are unacceptable. Their also seems to be a nonchalant attitude about their employees values. From what I gleaned from the interview what you believe in does not matter to the employee as long as you are doing your job to the best of your ability.What attitudes and values, held by this person, were similar to your own, and which were different? The attitudes and values of the subject were much in line with mine. The subject believes in receiving reward for hard work done and if you do not do the work you do not receive compensation. I did not like the fact that the subject refused to consider the cultural needs of the employee. I believe this may cause problems for them later on down the line. From this interview, what can give us insight into communicating across cultures or across work cultures?In my opinion communicating across cultures or work cultures takes a combined effort. Everyone in the company has to be open to the idea of using their talents which may have manifested due to elements from that individuals culture. Communication is not a one-sided instrument. In order for it to be effective the employer has to take steps to ensure that there are open lines of communication no matter what an employee’s background may be. In the end I believe that organizations only conform to the idea of culture because they are forced to.

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1407 Words

The joy that money can buy is temporary and fleeting. The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates how wealth and the pursuit of internal gain often destroys morals. In order for Gatsby earn Daisy’s love, he needed to acquire wealth which led him to destroy his morals. In this novel relationships are destroyed by wealth and the misjudgments of morals. NEED SOMETHING ABOUT BEHAVIOURS AND MATERIAL WEALTH. This novel proves that money can only buy temporary joy and that wealth and internal gain wrecks morals. In the novel The Great Gatsby, the main character Jay Gatsby displays true love toward Daisy; although to do so he destroys his morals. Romance novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford proclaimed that this novel is to be the greatest love story ever told. Gatsby was an average boy when he first met Daisy who was from a higher class then he. When he first met her â€Å"his heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed [Daisy], and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, is mind would never romp again like the mind of God.† (Fitzgerald, 110) Even after having fought in the war and being away from Daisy for years, he never forgot her. Being from a lower class Gatsby’s goal was to become wealthy to impress Daisy, his love, and be at a status where he could wed her. To achieve Daisy’s love Gatsby had to destroy his morals in order to become prosperous. In order to become wealthy â€Å"[Gatsby ] and WolfsheimShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. 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There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. 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