In a study, patients who had difficulty understanding their medications and prescriptions had shorter life expectancies than patients who have a clear understanding of their medical plan. According to researchers led by Dr. David Baker of Northwestern University, patients who did not have a clear understanding of medication instructions or appointment slips were 52% more likely to die over a 6-year period, when controlled for income level, education and disease status.
Researchers followed 3,260 Medicare patients (65 or older). They tested the participants’ understanding of health-related instruction (called health literacy) using a telephone questionnaire. Patients were read simple medical instructions and then asked questions about when to take medications, when to go to appointments and so forth. The patients who did poorly in the phone interview were found to have an increased likelihood of death over a six-year period. One explanation is that patients with a low understanding are not able to manage complex health conditions like heart disease or diabetes.
How To Protect Yourself
Be sure that you completely understand all your medication and instructions. Have your doctor write down anything important (or write it down yourself). Feel free to bring someone else along to your appointment to take notes. You can also tape record your doctor’s visit to be sure that you get everything right. If your doctor tells you something you don’t understand – ask for an explanation. Finally, keep good track of your medical information.Sources:
Baker DW, Wolf MS, Feinglass J, Thompson JA, Gazmararian JA, Huang J. Health literacy and mortality among elderly persons. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Jul 23;167(14):1503-9.
