- Study
- Published August 2006
Low literacy impairs comprehension of prescription drug warning labels.
Davis TC, Wolf MS, Bass PF III, et al. J Gen Inter Med. 2006;21:847-851.
-
Topics
Resource Type
Approach to Improving Safety
Safety Target
Setting of Care
Clinical Area
Target Audience
Origin/Sponsor
-
Cite
Copy Citation:
Download Citation File:
This study addresses the relationship between low health literacy and comprehension of common prescription drug warning labels. Patients at an urban primary care clinic underwent structured interviews to address their understanding of specific one-step warnings (ie, take with food) and multi-step warnings (ie, avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight while taking this medication). The majority of the study population had low or marginal health literacy, defined as reading at an 8th grade level or lower. Patients with low literacy were significantly less likely to correctly interpret warning labels, and multi-step instructions were misinterpreted by the majority of respondents across all literacy levels. Misinterpretation of these common warnings could conceivably lead to misuse of medications or adverse drug events.
Related Resources
Book/Report
Building the Case for Health Literacy: Proceedings of a Workshop.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2018. ISBN: 9780309474290.
Journal Article › Study
Visual acuity, literacy, and unintentional misuse of nonprescription medications.
Mullen RJ, Curtis LM, O'Conor R, et al. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2018;75:e213-e220.
Tools/Toolkit › Toolkit
Leeds, UK: Health Education England, Public Health England, NHS England and Community Health and Learning Foundation; December 11, 2017.
Journal Article › Study
Fylan B, Armitage G, Naylor D, Blenkinsopp A. BMJ Qual Saf. 2018;27:539-546.
Journal Article › Study
Wright JP, Edwards GC, Goggins K, et al. JAMA Surg. 2018;153:137-142.
Book/Report
Communicating Clearly About Medicines: Proceedings of a Workshop.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press: 2017. ISBN: 9780309461856.
Tools/Toolkit › Toolkit
Health Literacy Tools for Providers of Medication Therapy Management.
Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Journal Article › Study
Harris LM, Dreyer BP, Mendelsohn AL, et al. Acad Pediatr. 2017;17:403-410.
Journal Article › Study
Binns-Calvey AE, Malhiot A, Kostovich CT, et al. Acad Med. 2017;92:1287-1293.
Journal Article › Study
All consumer medication information is not created equal: implications for medication safety.
Monkman H, Kushniruk AW. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2017;234:233-237.
Journal Article › Study
A patient-centered prescription drug label to promote appropriate medication use and adherence.
Wolf MS, Davis TC, Curtis LM, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2016;31:1482-1489.
Journal Article › Study
Liquid medication errors and dosing tools: a randomized controlled experiment.
Yin HS, Parker RM, Sanders LM, et al. Pediatrics. 2016;138:e20160357.
Newspaper/Magazine Article
Health literacy and patient safety events.
Gardner LA. PA-PSRS Patient Saf Advis. June 2016;13:58-65.
Journal Article › Study
Bell SP, Schnipper JL, Goggins K, et al; Pharmacist Intervention for Low Literacy in Cardiovascular Disease (PILL-CVD) Study Group. J Gen Intern Med. 2016;31:470-477.
Journal Article › Study
Bloom-Feshbach K, Casey D, Schulson L, Gliatto P, Giftos J, Karani R. J Gen Intern Med. 2016;31:242-246.
Book/Report
Health Literacy: Past, Present, and Future: Workshop Summary.
Alper J; Roundtable on Health Literacy; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; 2015. ISBN: 9780309371544.
Journal Article › Commentary
Health literacy in primary care practice.
Hersh L, Salzman B, Snyderman D. Am Fam Physician. 2015;92:118-124.
Web Resource › Multi-use Website
Your Medicine, Be Smart, Be Safe.
Patient Guide. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Bethesda, MD: National Council on Patient Information and Education; July 2015. AHRQ Publication No. 11-0049-A.
Tools/Toolkit › Toolkit
Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit. Second edition.
Brega AG, Barnard J, Mabachi NM, et al. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2015. AHRQ Publication No. 15-0023-EF.
Web Resource › Government Resource
Five Steps to Safer Health Care.
Patient Fact Sheet. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; October 2014. AHRQ Publication No. 04-M005.
Tools/Toolkit › Fact Sheet/FAQs
Quick Tips--When Planning for Surgery.
Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; October 2012. AHRQ Publication No. 01-0040d.
Book/Report
How Can Health Care Organizations Become More Health Literate?: Workshop Summary.
Hernandez LM; Roundtable on Health Literacy; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2012. ISBN: 9780309256810.
Journal Article › Study
Risk of unintentional overdose with non-prescription acetaminophen products.
Wolf MS, King J, Jacobson K, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2012;27:1587-1593.
Journal Article › Commentary
Help your patient "get" what you just said: a health literacy guide.
Roett MA, Wessel L. J Fam Pract. 2012;61:190-196.
Journal Article › Study
What did the doctor say? Health literacy and recall of medical instructions.
McCarthy DM, Waite KR, Curtis LM, Engel KG, Baker DW, Wolf MS. Med Care. 2012;50:277-282.