title: Health literacy and health care in an inner-city, total laryngectomy population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Literacy in the head and neck cancer patient has been understudied. Health literacy (HL) is "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health care decisions." Limited HL skills reduce access to health care. We surveyed our patients who underwent total laryngectomy (TL) to evaluate their HL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had undergone TL at Grady Hospital (Atlanta, GA), an inner-city hospital, between 1988 and 1992 were identified. Sociodemographics, general health quality of life, HL, and alaryngeal voice assessment were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty patients were eligible but 14 could not be located, 4 refused, and 4 were deceased or too ill to participate. More than one third of the remaining patients had severely inadequate HL scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who underwent TL have a high incidence of becoming lost in the system as well as having inadequate health care literacy. Health literacy may be important when considering TL.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322-1013, USA. jonathan@radonc.emory.org
authors: Jonathan J
authors: JJ
authors: Beitler
authors: Amy Y
authors: AY
authors: Chen
authors: Kara
authors: K
authors: Jacobson
authors: Alma
authors: A
authors: Owens
authors: Megan
authors: M
authors: Edwards
authors: Peter A S
authors: PA
authors: Johnstone
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life; D013071:Speech, Alaryngeal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health; D019037:Urban Health Services