title: Health literacy screening of patients attending a student-led osteopathy clinic: A pilot investigation.
abstract: Adequate levels of health literacy (HL) are required for patients to access appropriate health services and develop an understanding of the options for managing their healthcare needs. There is limited literature on HL of patients seeking care for a musculoskeletal complaint. The present study sought to screen the HL of patients presenting to an Australian osteopathy student-led clinic using a single screening question 'Are you confident completing medical forms?'. Less than 10% of patients attending the clinic were considered to have below adequate levels of HL using this question, consistent with other work in Australian populations. Logistic regression analysis identified that the most significant demographic variables associated with lower HL were patients who did not speak English at home, those with lower education levels, and those who were less satisfied with their life. Evaluation of a patients' HL may assist practitioners to improve patient education and management strategies.
authors: College of Health & Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia; Institute for Sport, Exercise and Active Living, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: brett.vaughan@vu.edu.au.
authors: Brett
authors: B
authors: Vaughan
authors: College of Health & Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Mulcahy
authors: College of Health & Biomedicine, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Kylie
authors: K
authors: Fitzgerald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010021:Osteopathic Medicine; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D000070319:Student Run Clinic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Evaluation; Osteopathic medicine; Regression analysis