Tailored education may reduce health literacy disparities in asthma self-management.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Although inadequate health literacy has been associated with lower asthma medication knowledge and worse metered-dose inhaler (MDI) technique, the relationship between health literacy and the capacity to learn asthma self-management skills is unknown.

Objectives

In this prospective cohort study of adults hospitalized for severe asthma exacerbations at two inner-city hospitals, we examined the relationship between inadequate health literacy and difficulties learning and retaining instructions about discharge medications and appropriate MDI technique.

Methods

At hospital discharge, participants received one-on-one, 30-min, guideline-based, written and oral instruction about their asthma discharge regimen as well as appropriate MDI technique.

Measurements an

SUBMITTER: Paasche-Orlow MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2718412 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature