The aim of this study is to evaluate and to compare patients' opinions about health information given to patients by nurses, considering the patients' health literacy level.
Materials and methods: The study was performed in two regions of Lithuania. Eight hospitals were randomly selected for the study. The study included all patients and nurses who were treated in therapeutic and surgical departments on the day of the survey. A total of 1030 questionnaires were distributed among patients (response rate, 85.0%) and 436 questionnaires among nurses (response rate, 89.0%).
Results: More than half of patients (67.7%) reported that during their treatment in inpatient wards, nurses provided them sufficient information about their disease. Patients' opinions differed according to their health literacy level. Every fifth (21.8%) patient with adequate health literacy level indicated nurses as one of the source of information; the same was indicated by every tenth (11.1%) patient with marginal and 9.7% of patients with inadequate health literacy level. Patients with adequate health literacy were significantly more demanding regarding information provided by nurses, i.e., more patients reported that nurses gave them insufficient information about their disease, health status, how to behave after returning home, how to change position in bed, when to drink, eat, sit, and start walking after operation, how to consume healthy food, to give up smoking, to reduce alcohol consumption, to normalize blood pressure, and how to spend leisure time actively as compared to patients with inadequate health literacy level.
Conclusions: Patients with adequate health literacy were more demanding regarding information provided by nurses, i.e., more patients reported that nurses gave them insufficient or any information about their disease, health status, procedures performed, preparation for surgery, postoperative period, and healthy lifestyle. The greatest proportion of patients satisfied with information received was among patients with inadequate health literacy.