Pediatric Caregiver Health Literacy: Comparing Perceptions of Pediatricians and Nurse Practitioners

Throughout life, most people will interact with the healthcare system to manage information in order to make healthcare decisions. Health literacy is the ability to comprehend health information needed to make healthcare decisions. Pediatric patients often do not have a voice in their healthcare decisions; therefore, their health outcomes may be affected by the health literacy of their caregivers. In addition, the child’s health may be impacted by the ability of the healthcare team to provide appropriate health education. The purpose of this honors thesis was to determine pediatric healthcare providers’ perception of health literacy in their practices. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with two nurse practitioners and one pediatrician. Results of the interviews indicated that providers obtain information through history taking and determine caregiver health literacy based on their ability to follow verbal and written instructions. Although lack of time is a barrier, healthcare providers can increase health literacy in their practices by providing feedback to caregivers in a caring, nonjudgmental manner