Communication research paper Annotated Bibliography

Smith, S. G., Wolf, M. S., & Wagner, C. V. (2010). Socioeconomic Status, Statistical Confidence, and Patient–Provider Communication: An Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 2007). Journal of Health Communication, 15(Sup3), 169-185.

Smith’s article provides a study on the link between a person’s statistical confidence and potential health outcomes, specifically with the patient-provider interaction. Taking an extremely quantitative and systematic analysis, Smith concluded that most individuals who lacked confidence in their ability to analyze medical numerical statistics experienced effects in their confidence and ability to effectively communicate during a patient-physician interaction. Many of those who lacked confidence in this ability or were limited in this functional ability were elderly, ethnic minorities, and low-income groups. Those with lower confidences in their functional skills felt that their physician-patient interaction was significantly less constructive. Suggested methods such as patient prompt lists would be extremely helpful. Smith’s article provides many examples of ways to improve the patient’s interaction with providers as well as tips for providers that will help check patient’s comprehension in lower, less educated community.

Garg, S. K., Lyles, C. R., Ackerman, S., Handley, M. A., Schillinger, D., Gourley, G., . . . Sarkar, U. (2015). Qualitative analysis of programmatic initiatives to text patients with mobile devices in resource-limited health systems. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 16(1).

Garg’s article provides a qualitative analysis of using a texting-based program that would serve a primary care need. However, health care systems that provide health services to uninsured low-income patients potentially may struggle with utilizing this technology due to financial and infrastructural challenges. Navigating government regulations that are implemented to protect patient privacy is a huge battle. So although new technology is constantly emerging, this new system seems difficult to adequately and efficiently conduct as a primary care service. This scholarly article is constructed well and provides excellent points on potential issues with advancing medical care with texting.

Sivakumar, H., Hanoch, Y., Barnes, A. J., & Federman, A. D. (2016). Cognition, Health Literacy, and Actual and Perceived Medicare Knowledge Among Inner-City Medicare Beneficiaries. Journal of Health Communication, 21(Sup2), 155-163.

Sivakumar’s article discussed the current knowledge levels of Medicare low-income patients. Poor access to information about Medicare provides concern to a patient’s ability to make informed choices. The results showed that individuals with low health literacy tended to perceive their knowledge of Medicare as adequate, when in actuality it was very low. This explains many medical misunderstandings and allows insight in to ways to avoid medical confusions. This well constructed article provides a specific example of issues with health literacy. Comment by James Owens: Wow. Very interesting. Lots of political implications here.

Diamond, C., Saintonge, S., August, P., & Azrack, A. (2011). The Development of Building Wellness™, a Youth Health Literacy Program. Journal of Health Communication, 16(Sup3), 103-118.

Diamond’s article discusses the inadequate research on youth health literacy and its effect on health outcomes. Low-income minority populations are at a higher risk of illness and disease. Diamond’s article introduces a curriculum called Building Wellness. This curriculum includes lessons on asthma, obesity, drug and alcohol use. It is hope that by teaching low-income youth (3rd grade – 8th grade) it will prepare these individuals to be active, educate participants in their healthcare. This will ultimately lead to improved healthy behaviors and potentially a more enthusiastic approach to the patient-physician interaction. This scholarly article provides in a systematic manner a possible solution to strengthen a community’s health literacy.

Jensen, J. D., King, A. J., Guntzviller, L. M., & Davis, L. A. (2010). Patient–provider communication and low-income adults: Age, race, literacy, and optimism predict communication satisfaction. Patient Education and Counseling, 79(1), 30-35.

Jensen’s article assess whether literacy, numeracy, and optimism affects a patient’s satisfaction with his or her patient-physician interaction. Surveys asked if patients were satisfied with the communication conducted with their health care provider after a visit. This study showed that low-income individuals who were white, young, and functionally literate were more critical and dissatisfied with their visit. The study also showed that older, non-white, literacy deficient patients reported greater communication satisfaction than their younger peers. This study provided evidence that healthcare providers must continue to search for new ways to communicate and address health care issues in an effective and satisfactory manner. This study provided a different approach to the typical association that low-income, low literacy communities are normally dissatisfied with their patient-physician interaction. Comment by James Owens: Like the prior study, this seems to suggest that the least served by health systems may also apply less pressure for reforms.