| dc.description.abstract | Background: Limited health literacy has consistently been demonstrated to have far-reaching
consequences. It is associated with an increased number of hospitalizations,
rehospitalizations, mortality and morbidity. Less educated adults were found to demonstrate
lower health literacy skills. The “PREvention Decline in Older Cardiac Surgery patients”
(PREDOCS) consult is developed for older cardiac surgery patients to reduce postoperative
complications. This intervention seems to be less successful in less educated patients. The
PREDOCS consult should thus be optimized. For this optimization, it is necessary to identify
the patient characteristics that are responsible for not obtaining, understanding and/or applying
health information.
Aim: To determine if the patient problem solving, self-efficacy, motivation and patient
participation is influenced by low educational attainment in older (≥ 65 years) elective cardiac
surgery patients.
Method: A cross-sectional design was used. This study focuses on the patient characteristics:
self-efficacy, problem solving, motivation and patient participation. Three validated surveys,
namely the Dutch General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Patient Activation Measure (PAM)
and Self-Management Screening (SeMaS) are used to measure the modifiable patient
characteristics. Conclusion is drawn based on multiple analysis.
Results: In total, 41 patients consented to participate. Of these patients, 22 (53.7%) were less
educated patients and 19 (46.3%) normally educated. The total score of GSES significantly
differs between less educated and normally educated patients (P=0,043). However, when the
data are corrected for age and gender, there is no significant association between education
level and the PAM, SeMaS and GSES.
Conclusion and recommendations: No significant associations were found between low
educational attainment and modifiable patient characteristics in older (≥ 65 years) elective
cardiac surgery patients. Further research focus on additional personal characteristics of less
educated patients affecting health outcomes. | |
