TY - JOUR
T1 - The long-term effects of using telehomecare technology on functional health literacy
T2 - results from a randomized trial
AU - Hæsum, Lisa Korsbakke Emtekær
AU - Ehlers, Lars Holger
AU - Hejlesen, Ole K
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Objectives The association between the use of telehomecare technology and functional health literacy is rather unexplored in the current literature. This relationship could prove important in the future management of chronic diseases, as technology has become a more integrated part of modern healthcare systems. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how the use of telehomecare technology affects the level of functional health literacy over a period of 10 months. Study design Randomized controlled trial. Methods Our sample comprised 116 patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A face-to-face interview and an objective test of functional health literacy were conducted with each patient at baseline and again at follow-up after 10 months. Twenty-six patients were lost to follow-up and thus, providing a total of 47 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in the intervention group and 43 in the control group for this follow-up study. The level of functional health literacy was assessed with the Danish Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. The difference from baseline to follow-up, in both the functional health literacy score and the mean response time to the entire Danish Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), was tested for statistical significance between the intervention group and the control group. Results A significant increase in functional health literacy is observed in both the groups from baseline to follow-up, but there is no statistical difference between groups (P-value = 0.62). Conclusions A significant increase in the functional health literacy score was observed in both groups, but the findings of this present study provide no information on what causes the increase, so further research is needed to explore the increase in functional health literacy score more thoroughly and establish if the use of telehomecare technology is a part of the explanation.
AB - Objectives The association between the use of telehomecare technology and functional health literacy is rather unexplored in the current literature. This relationship could prove important in the future management of chronic diseases, as technology has become a more integrated part of modern healthcare systems. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how the use of telehomecare technology affects the level of functional health literacy over a period of 10 months. Study design Randomized controlled trial. Methods Our sample comprised 116 patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A face-to-face interview and an objective test of functional health literacy were conducted with each patient at baseline and again at follow-up after 10 months. Twenty-six patients were lost to follow-up and thus, providing a total of 47 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in the intervention group and 43 in the control group for this follow-up study. The level of functional health literacy was assessed with the Danish Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. The difference from baseline to follow-up, in both the functional health literacy score and the mean response time to the entire Danish Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), was tested for statistical significance between the intervention group and the control group. Results A significant increase in functional health literacy is observed in both the groups from baseline to follow-up, but there is no statistical difference between groups (P-value = 0.62). Conclusions A significant increase in the functional health literacy score was observed in both groups, but the findings of this present study provide no information on what causes the increase, so further research is needed to explore the increase in functional health literacy score more thoroughly and establish if the use of telehomecare technology is a part of the explanation.
KW - disease, health science and nursing
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85020713038
U2 - 10.1016/j.puhe.2017.05.002
DO - 10.1016/j.puhe.2017.05.002
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0033-3506
VL - 150
SP - 43
EP - 50
JO - Public Health
JF - Public Health
ER -