title: Effect of Health Literacy on Research Follow-Up.
abstract: Previous research has not examined the effect of health literacy on research subjects' completion of scheduled research follow-up. This article evaluates patient factors associated with incomplete research follow-up at three time points after enrollment in a large, hospital-based prospective cohort study. Predictor variables included health literacy, age, race, gender, education, employment status, difficulty paying bills, hospital diagnosis, length of stay, self-reported global health status, depression, perceived health competence, medication adherence, and health care system distrust. In a sample of 2,042 patients, multivariable models demonstrated that lower health literacy and younger age were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of completing research follow-up interviews at 2-3 days, 30 days, and 90 days after hospital discharge. In addition, patients who had less education, were currently employed, and had moderate financial stress were less likely to complete 90-day follow-up. This study is the first to demonstrate that lower health literacy is a significant predictor of incomplete research follow-up.
authors.affiliation: a Institute for Medicine and Public Health , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Cardella
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leak
authors.affiliation: b Center for Health Services Research , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|c Center for Effective Health Communication , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|d Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goggins
authors.affiliation: e Department of Biostatistics , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|f Department of Anesthesiology , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Schildcrout
authors.affiliation: g Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Cecelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Theobald
authors.affiliation: h Department of Sociology , Vanderbilt University, Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Katharine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Donato
authors.affiliation: i Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|j Center for Quality Aging, Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: g Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|j Center for Quality Aging, Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|k Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center , Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schnelle
authors.affiliation: b Center for Health Services Research , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|c Center for Effective Health Communication , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|d Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.|g Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kripalani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D059012:Lost to Follow-Up; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors