DNP 825 Describe a scenario in which a patient’s culture might impact health literacy Re: Topic 3 DQ 2

DNP 825 Describe a scenario in which a patient’s culture might impact health literacy

Re: Topic 3 DQ 2

Health literacy may present in various forms leading to inadequate and ineffective healthcare management with subsequent non-compliance and complications. When communication is disseminated between the provider and the patient it creates a healthy dangerous and threatening situation. Simmons et al. (2017) define health literacy describes how individuals obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make an appropriate decision as it concerns a person’s health decisions

Goldsmith et al. (2020) use the COMFORT communication model as a holistic set of principles that are practiced during patient and family care.  The COMFORT model communication promotes how some of the health literacy encountered can be managed effectively through collaborative nurse-patient and family interactions.

complex social determinants of health (SDOHs) emphasize those factors that reflect the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age that influence their access and availability to health care. These include economic stability, neighborhood and physical environment, education, food, community, and social context, and the health care system (Goldsmith et al., 2020). The COMFORT model represents C—Connect, O—Options, M—Making Meaning, F—Family Caregivers, O—Openings, R—Relating, and T—Team (Goldsmith et al., 2020). This model was used to connect and interact meaningfully with a patient family who expressed some preference for how her mother should be cared for in a cancer unit about their cultural belief. Using this model permits the healthcare professional to create a mutual communication that incorporates a clearer explanation and understanding between the family and the healthcare professional.

C-for connects in this model helps the healthcare professional and the patient or patient family connect as a way to improve the quality of care and promote better outcomes. A patient family expresses dissatisfaction with the physician’s approach and lack of explanation concerning their family member laying critically unconscious in the hospital. The nurse can give a listening ear and connect with their concerns and be able to advocate and communicate the concerns with the physician creating a room to address the concern. O—Options, this helps to understand the uniqueness of each individual to remove stereotyping and assumptions based on appearance or origin. M—Making Meaning addresses how the healthcare professional discusses certain information especially serious illnesses as it may be interpreted and assumed culturally by the patient as some patients may think illnesses are punishment for bad behaviors. F—Family Caregivers should be acknowledged to promote cultural diversity. O—Openings indicate the need for the nurse to assist the patient in transition to the appropriate care once the opportunity warrants. R—Relating this where the nurse research the family’s perception and understanding and acceptance of the patient’s illness. Appropriate information must be communicated.  T—Team, the importance of teamwork cannot be overemphasized in patient care (Goldsmith et al., 2020). To involve flexibility, communication, and participation to achieve the goal. Embracing cultural competence is vital in addressing the factors impacting health literacy.

Reference

Goldsmith, J., Wittenberg, E. & Parnell, T. (2020). The COMFORT Communication Model. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 22 (3), 229-237. doi: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000647.

Simmons, R. A., Cosgrove, S. C., Romney, M. C., Plumb, J. D., Brawer, R. O., Gonzalez, E. T., … & Moore, B. S. (2017). Health literacy: cancer prevention strategies for early adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(3), S73-S77.