This paper presents an analysis of asthma-related disparities in emergency department use and clinical outcomes among Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients.
In this study, researchers assessed asthma-related disparities in emergency department use and clinical outcomes among Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients. The impact of asthma morbidity is notable with lower quality of life indices and higher rates of anxiety and depression than those with well-controlled or no asthma. Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health care decisions.” Groups at high risk for low health literacy include the elderly, people with limited education, ethnic minorities, individuals who spoke a language other than English in their childhood home, and individuals with Medicaid insurance. Low health literacy has been found to contribute to asthma morbidity. Universal health literacy precautions are recommended at every patient encounter to address low health literacy and improve patient outcomes. Researcher interest in health literacy was strengthened by the US Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2030 campaign to improve educational attainment among US citizens as a means to improve public health. (Published Abstract Provided)