Jawaid Shaw1, Kavish R Patidar2, Bradley Reuter1, Navid Hajezifar1, Narayan Dharel3, James B Wade4, Jasmohan S Bajaj5,6. 1. Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. 2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. 3. Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. 4. Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. 5. Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. Jasmohan.bajaj@vcuhealth.org. 6. McGuire VA Medical Center, 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard, Richmond, VA, 23249, USA. Jasmohan.bajaj@vcuhealth.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Health education interventions are successful in modifying lifestyle. Functional health literacy (FHL) can determine patient adherence to clinic visits and procedures and may adversely impact the success of these interventions. AIMS: We sought to evaluate the hypothesis that a health education intervention would improve compliance with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) screening and that poor FHL would reduce such compliance. METHODS: We assessed FHL using a short version test of functional health literacy in adults (STOFHLA). Cirrhotic patients free of HCC were prospectively enrolled from clinics and provided an educational intervention consisting of focused physician-led discussion regarding cirrhosis and HCC, along with written material on these topics for the subject to review at home. Patients were subsequently followed for 6 months (prospective time period), and the same cohort's clinic/HCC screening behavior between 6 and 12 months prior to the educational intervention (retrospective time period) was compared. RESULTS: In total, 104 cirrhotic patients (age 60.01 ± 8.58 years, 80% men, MELD 12.70 ± 5.76) were included. Of these, 89 (85.57%) of patients had educational level 12th grade and higher. There were 76% (n = 79) with adequate, while 24% (n = 25) had inadequate/marginal FHL on S-TOHFLA. The number of HCC-related imaging increased from 59 (56.7%) to 86 (82.6%, p < 0.0001) post-education in the prospective compared to prior time period which was similar regardless of FHL. CONCLUSIONS: While the educational intervention was successful in improving compliance with HCC screenings, FHL status did not impact the power of this intervention. Hence, the combination of specific verbal information, along with targeted written material, improved compliance with clinic visits and liver imaging for HCC.
BACKGROUND: Health education interventions are successful in modifying lifestyle. Functional health literacy (FHL) can determine patient adherence to clinic visits and procedures and may adversely impact the success of these interventions. AIMS: We sought to evaluate the hypothesis that a health education intervention would improve compliance with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) screening and that poor FHL would reduce such compliance. METHODS: We assessed FHL using a short version test of functional health literacy in adults (STOFHLA). Cirrhotic patients free of HCC were prospectively enrolled from clinics and provided an educational intervention consisting of focused physician-led discussion regarding cirrhosis and HCC, along with written material on these topics for the subject to review at home. Patients were subsequently followed for 6 months (prospective time period), and the same cohort's clinic/HCC screening behavior between 6 and 12 months prior to the educational intervention (retrospective time period) was compared. RESULTS: In total, 104 cirrhotic patients (age 60.01 ± 8.58 years, 80% men, MELD 12.70 ± 5.76) were included. Of these, 89 (85.57%) of patients had educational level 12th grade and higher. There were 76% (n = 79) with adequate, while 24% (n = 25) had inadequate/marginal FHL on S-TOHFLA. The number of HCC-related imaging increased from 59 (56.7%) to 86 (82.6%, p < 0.0001) post-education in the prospective compared to prior time period which was similar regardless of FHL. CONCLUSIONS: While the educational intervention was successful in improving compliance with HCC screenings, FHL status did not impact the power of this intervention. Hence, the combination of specific verbal information, along with targeted written material, improved compliance with clinic visits and liver imaging for HCC.
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