NR 449 Week 3 RUA – Topic Search Strategy

NR 449 Week 3 RUA – Topic Search Strategy

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-449 Evidence-Based Practice

Prof. Name:

Date

Clinical Question

Health literacy significantly impacts disease prevention and management. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2022), health literacy refers to an individual’s ability to find, comprehend, and utilize health information and services to make informed decisions. Inadequate health literacy poses a challenge in healthcare, as individuals who cannot understand medical information may struggle to manage their health. For example, a parent might not sign a consent form for their child’s blood transfusion due to a lack of comprehension, potentially delaying essential care and exacerbating the child’s condition. Factors such as education level, socioeconomic status, age, and access to healthcare and related information influence health literacy levels. Research indicates that improving health literacy could reduce avoidable hospitalizations by 26%, hospital readmissions by 9%, and emergency department visits by 18% (United Health Group, 2020).

The PICOT question guiding this investigation is: In children diagnosed with asthma, does low health literacy compared to high health literacy play a role in reduced disease management? The goal is to explore how varying levels of health literacy among caregivers affect health outcomes in children with asthma. The focus of the group paper is to examine differences in disease management and outcomes in children with asthma based on caregivers’ health literacy levels. For this individual paper, the emphasis is on identifying credible sources that align with the group assignment’s goals.

Levels of Evidence

The posed question relates to prognosis, which examines the probable course of a disease. According to standard definitions, prognosis involves evaluating outcomes and disease progression over time. Addressing this question requires integrating both qualitative and quantitative research. Quantitative data allows for measurable insights into caregiver health literacy levels and corresponding health outcomes in children. This includes rates of improvement or deterioration in the child’s asthma management. Meanwhile, qualitative data captures the subjective experiences and observations of caregivers, healthcare providers, and children themselves. These narratives provide context, highlighting the impact of caregiver literacy on treatment adherence and health outcomes.

Search Strategy

The PICOT question incorporates two main topics: “health literacy” and “asthma.” To locate relevant sources, the Chamberlain University library was used for targeted searches. For the first topic, “pediatric health literacy with asthma,” filters were applied to include articles published between 2017 and 2022. An article titled “The Impact of Caregiver Health Literacy on Pediatric Asthma: An Integrative Review” by Abrams (2020) was initially selected. Though initially encountering an error page, the article was located through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library of Medicine by searching “the impact of health literacy on pediatric asthma.” The article provided full-text access and valuable insights into how caregiver health literacy influences asthma management in children.

For the second topic, “asthma management in children,” the same library was used with publication dates limited to 2017–2022. Among 5,949 results, the article “Designing an Indoor Air Quality Monitoring App for Asthma Management in Children: User-Centered Design Approach” by Kim, Park, and Ackerman (2021) was selected. This study discussed the development of a monitoring app tailored to children with asthma, offering innovative strategies for improving asthma management and care. Access to the full text was achieved through a linked tab.

Table: Health Literacy and Asthma Management

Conclusion

Health literacy plays a critical role in ensuring effective healthcare outcomes. For children with asthma, the health literacy of their caregivers can significantly affect disease management. Addressing low health literacy through evidence-based research is crucial to understanding and mitigating its impact. By identifying strategies to improve literacy levels, healthcare providers can enhance patient care, reduce preventable hospital visits, and improve overall health outcomes.

References

Abrams, E. (2020). The impact of caregiver health literacy on pediatric asthma: An integrative review. Pediatric Allergy Immunology Pulmonology, 33(3), 110–116. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9353981/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). What is health literacy? Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/index.html

NR 449 Week 3 RUA – Topic Search Strategy

Kim, S., Park, Y., & Ackerman, M. (2021). Designing an indoor air quality monitoring app for asthma management in children: User-centered design approach. JMIR Formative Research, 5(9), e27447. https://www-proquest-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/publiccontent/docview/2575368864?pqorigsite=primos

United Health Group. (2020). Improving health literacy could prevent nearly 1 million hospital visits and save over $25 billion a year. Retrieved from https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/content/dam/UHG/PDF/About/Health-LiteracyBrief.pdf