Flint map intervention improving patient/provider communication

Nearly half of the U.S. adult population lack sufficient general literacy. Marginalized minority populations with low health literacy skills are more likely to have poor health status. Recent studies have shown that low health literacy is related to poor health outcomes including hypertension, diabetes, and access to health care and health disparities. Partners from The University of Michigan School Of Public Health, the Genesee County Public Health Department, Flint/Genesee Neighborhood Roundtable, and Flint Odyssey House: Health Awareness Center and the Genesee County Community Action Resource Department seek to improve functional health literacy and participation in health decision making through a collaborative approach. The Flint Map intervention is a Community Based partnership that will focus on addressing the intersection of trust, perceived institutionalized challenges and barriers in patient/provider communication and health disparities.

Six focus groups with 72 African American adults living in Flint, MI were conducted. Participants were recruited by community partners to participate in the study. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. Two independent researchers coded transcripts and agreement on any issues was reached. 27.3% of the participants were found to have inadequate health literacy using the Newest Vital Sign. Themes include: navigation and access to health care, health care decision making, quality of patient/provider communication, patient characteristics, provider characteristics and health information seeking. Findings point to a need for skill-building interventions to assist individuals to better understand and navigate the health care system and to address perceived challenges in patient/provider communication.