Health literacy and cancer communication with Alaskan women: Highlights from a pilot study

INTRODUCTION: US Healthy People 2010 defines health literacy as “the degree to which people can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services that they need to make appropriate health decisions.” The U.S. Office of Minority Health defines cultural and linguistic competence as “a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations.” Thus, client health literacy and system cultural competence are important barriers to effective health service delivery and improved health outcomes. Baseline data on both health literacy and cultural competence are missing in Alaska. The goal of the present study was to provide baseline data and to lay foundation for at least one future collaborative intervention study.

METHODS: A convenience sample of providers (N=20) and clients served by them (N=164) from both urban and rural areas of Alaska completed key informant interviews. Cultural competence and health literacy surveys (adapted from Commonwealth Fund) were completed by providers, and client health literacy skills were assessed using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). Cancer screening materials (N =22) were obtained from providers, and were assessed by research staff, providers, and women for suitability and readability. Interviews were reviewed by members of the research team; demographic profile of respondents and survey results were summarized.

RESULTS: Findings confirm the interrelated roles of health literacy and cultural competence in provider-client communication, and reveal possible avenues for improvement of health service delivery and health outcomes in under-served communities in Alaska.