Use of an Evidence Based Verbal Health Literacy Screening Tool in an Inpatient Setting

Patients who are categorized as having low health literacy have been shown to utilize emergency services more frequently, have increased hospitalizations, and have poorer health outcomes, yet very few medical facilities screen for these at risk patients. The purpose of the process change was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an evidence based verbal health literacy screening tool into the admission process on a progressive care unit at an urban hospital. After an education session on the screening process, nurses were set to administer the Expanded Brief Health Literacy Screening (EBHLS) to patients admitted to the floor. At the end of the pilot, nurses completed a survey that measured the acceptability, use, and satisfaction of the process and tool. Results of the survey showed a positive reception to the implementation with the most common request being to implement the screening tool into the electronic medical record (EMR). Out of the 13 screenings that were completed, seven fell into the low health literacy category (70%) and three were unable to be assessed. This prevalence is alarming even though the sample size was small. Administrative support and implementation of the screening into the EMR are barriers that must be addressed to consistently screen and identify low health literacy patients