Why Health Literacy is Important A Bridge to Better Health Outcomes

Thomas Straumits, AIPM Working Group Nov 10 , 2015

Healthcare Is Not a Priority & Innovative Medicines Not Recognized as Key To Longer & Healthier Lives

Life Expectancy: One of Lowest in EU

Mortality (age 15-60) One of Highest in EU

CV

Onco

Men: 71.6. Women: 78.7

Migrations of HC Providers

Gross Salaries in EU

A Simple Framework for a Complex Topic

The Challenge is Both for HealthCare Professionals and Patients

Health Literacy Can Help Make Health and Healthcare A Priority

A more Engaged Patient with an Active Role in Decisions and Management

Positive Financial Impact through a Healthy and Productive Workforce

Can lead to Better Utilization of Current Healthcare Resources

May Lead to Better Health Outcomes and a Healthier Longer Life

An Essential Component of Patient Access to Health Promotion, Healthcare Resources including Innovative Therapies and Effective Disease Prevention

Health Literacy & The Disease Journey

Patients With Limited HL Enter Healthcare When They Are Sicker

Step Better Health Literacy Behaviour Change Impact

Pre-Origination

Increases general knowledge about health, diseases and associated risk factors

Patients become more aware of risk factors, risk and risk behaviour and show up earlier for ”check ups”, screening and tests

Ability to assess patients, prevent worsening of outcomes and initiation of treatment earlier

Origination

Helps the individual navigate the health care system to know where to go with a certain symptom or diagnosis

Patients consult the right HCP at the right time instead of burdening the Emergency Room at Hospitals

Avoids high costs associated with patients presenting with late stage diseases and increasing efficiency of healthcare and utilization of resources

7

Patients With Limited HL; More Likely To Have Chronic Conditions & Less Able To Manage Them Effectively

Step Better Health Literacy Behaviour Change Impact

Evaluation/ Diagnosis

Helps to understand the diagnosis and coping with it

Patients understand diagnostic tests outcomes

Better acceptance of diagnosis and implications

Treatment Choice

Improves discussion about treatment choices, life style advice and alternative recommendations

Treatment options, their advantages and disadvantages are discussed

Patient involvement in decision making and better able to manage disease

Potential improvement in utilization of healthcare budgets

Brand Choice

Increases knowledge about treatment options

More conscious choice of therapy aligned with patient needs

Best-possible treatment wins

8

Limited HL Associated With Greater Number Of Instances Of

Medication Non-adherence

Step Better Health Literacy Behaviour Change Impact

Fulfillment

Helps to check what is dispensed and better understands potential substitution

Patient gets what is prescribed/ «conscious fulfillment»

Minimizes unintended switches and enables

Adherence

Helps to understand the treatment, challenges and benefits

Patient «knows» his treatment and how to manage it; stays on treatment

Better health outcomes

Reduces cost burden due to non-adherence

Better Utilization of Drug Budgets

9

”When I feel better, I sometimes stop taking my medicine”

Our 5 Main Problem Statements

No Clear, Common Definition in Hungarian for all Stakeholders

No Clear Understanding of Healthcare Operations allowing for easy

navigation; low awareness of patient rights, roles & responsibilities

General Information Overload, but Limited Knowledge of Reliable & easy Accessible Data for Patients

No Clear Data to Support Understanding of Current Level of HL; we

observe low interest in health, health outcomes and activities promoting health and healthy choices

HL is Not Amongst Immediate Priorities in the health sector; difficult to see who owns the area and where accountability (politically and professionally) lies

Validity Cronbach’s alphas

Mean (scale 0-50)

SD

0,97 32,3 7,8

0,98 34,5 8,0

0,97 30,5 9,2

0,97 33,6 8,5

0,96 32,9 6,1

0,97 35,2 7,8

0,96 32,0 7,6

0,96 34,5 7,9

0,95 37,1 6,4

11 Base: HU [N=954]|AT [N=979]|BG [N=925]|DE (NRW) [N=1045]|EL[N=998]|ES[N=974]|IE[N=959]|NL[N=993]|PL[N=921]

19%

10%

27%

14%

8%

10%

18%

11%

2%

33%

34%

35%

31%

51%

30%

38%

35%

27%

38%

36%

27%

40%

33%

39%

34%

34%

46%

10%

20%

11%

16%

9%

21%

10%

20%

25%

HU

PL

BG

GR

ES

IE

AT

DE

NL

inadequate problematic sufficient excellent

Health Literacy in Hungary is Limited (but similar to Austria) Data from Szinapszis

The results are sobering: Not even Netherlands, with the highest average Health Literacy reaches the excellent threshold. The average Health Literacy level in Hungary is limited (lower than 33 points), along with Bulgaria, Spain and Austria. The rest of the countries reach a sufficient Health Literacy level with their average score.

~50% Can Not Easily Judge Reliability Of Information In Media Related To Illnesses

Potential Solution: CERTIFICATION or “TRUSTED SOURCE-stamp” Should be created in alliance with HealthCare professionals ( Scientific Colleges)

1/3 Can Not Easily Judge/Decide Which Vaccinations Or Screening They Need Further Overloading Healthcare

Potential Solution: MEDICAL HOTLINE (24/7) Manned with qualified nurses providing ”first point of contact”

The Road Ahead

Health Literacy is Complex • Solutions need to be aligned across

stakeholders and addressed at different levels of the HealthCare system

Health Literacy should be addressed now

• Huge burden on current healthcare system by people with limited HL

• Modern technology and access to reliable information can lead to ”quick wins” with patient registries and health apps

Health Literacy; recognized by EU • A series of conferences to be organized

and Hungary is now on the HL-map

Thank You For Attention!