Analysis of the Assessment 

Gap Analysis for Educational Best Practices

The gap analysis conducted in the Cardiothoracic clinic identified areas of needed improvement for educational best practices. Some factors that that impact this patient population were health literacy, poor patient education materials, and poor communication among the interdisciplinary teams.

Gap Analysis

Health Literacy

  Many of the patients surveyed in clinic had a low healthy literacy. “Most of those with low health literacy are elderly (over 65 years old), belong to minority groups, are refugees or immigrants, have a low educational level, have a low socioeconomic status, or are nonnative speakers” (Park & Zuniga, 2016). Patients seen in the clinic fit these criteria.  Patients with low health literacy are often unable to comprehend the severity of diagnosis, treatment plans, follow through with medication compliance.  Health literacy screening is not common practice of the patients seen in the clinic. By “empowering people through health literacy with an emphasis on person‐centered health information and support to enable consumers to manage their own health and engage effectively with health services” (Muscat et al., 2022).  By implementing individualized or routine health literacy screenings of our patient population we can better address their health needs and create better health outcomes.

Patient Education

Current patient education is written pamphlets or print outs. This educational material is often only available in English, despite our multicultural patient population. “Health education materials, however, are not always appropriately written for those with low health literacy, and the materials that do take low health literacy into account are limited” (Park & Zuniga, 2016). Multimedia patient education allows patients to process information in differently.  Providing patient education that has both audio and visual components of learning to patients with low health literacy has been linked to increases learning. “The use of multimedia provides consistent information diminishing the chances of passing over key teaching points” (Steves & Scafide, 2021).  With the implementation of multimedia patient education, we can facilitate patient engagement through interactive learning.

Communication

Communication among interdisciplinary team members is essential for positive patient outcome. “In addition to interdisciplinary collaboration, effective communication about managing medications between clinicians and patients can have a direct influence on patient outcomes” (Liu et al., 2016).  Of the interdisciplinary team members surveyed most felt that communication between team members was lacking. Patients lacked knowledge of their medications, why they were taking certain medications, and adherence to medication regime. By improving interdisciplinary collaboration and communication we can develop effective protocols to increase patient knowledge of medication and increase compliance.

Conclusion

This gap analysis has helped to identify deficiencies in current practice that negatively impact our patient population. In identifying these differences in current practice, we can make the necessary changes needed to improve patient health literacy, engagement, and overall health outcomes.

References

Liu, R. W., Gerdtz, M., & Manias, E. (2016). Creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and patient‐centered care: how nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and patients use communication strategies when managing medications in an acute hospital setting. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 25(19–20), 2943–2957. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13360

Muscat, D. M., Mouwad, D., McCaffery, K., Zachariah, D., Tunchon, L., Ayre, J., & Nutbeam, D. (2023). Embedding health literacy research and best practice within a socioeconomically and culturally diverse health service: A narrative case study and revised model of co‐creation. Health Expectations, 26(1), 452–462. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13678

Park, J., & Zuniga, J. (2016). Effectiveness of using picture-based health education for people with low health literacy: An integrative review. Cogent Medicine, 3(1), 1264679. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331205x.2016.1264679

Steves, S. L., & Scafide, K. N. (2021). Multimedia in preoperative patient education for adults undergoing cancer surgery: A systematic review. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 52, 101981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2021.101981