Social and cognitive abilities that establish people's capacity and motivation to have access to, comprehend, and use knowledge in ways that are promoting and maintaining good health are referred to as health literacy. People who are properly literate in health matters to the society. They contribute to ensuring that the members of their society live in good health. The ability to comprehend health brochures and schedule appointments with medical professionals successfully is demonstrated by health literacy. Health literacy is likely to increase by making it easier for people to obtain and effectively use the health information that is available. Patients having low level of health literacy distinguish poor self-efficacy when it comes to handling their health situations. They are never willing to be entailed within health care provisions. Also, such patients are showing larger risks of mortality and hospitalization. They are similarly never aware of well-being determinants. For that matter, inadequate health literacy certainly is related to insufficient management of lasting health conditions. Nevertheless, Barrett and Jennifer (691) argue that health literacy is a factor which is overlooked when any public health official is handling HIV patients.
The research would address the development of the capability of exploring available alternative treatments for the HIV patients. This would make the patients choose excellent options in safeguarding and promoting the health status of patients.
Research Question
What are the effects of poor health literacy on patients facing HIV?
Rationale
The research question is relevant since inadequate health literacy looking at various health outcomes of the HIV patients face makes it essential for the public health experts to comprehend the topic. Besides, HIV infection is regarded to be a serious problem for in public health globally. This is indicating a stiff challenge which is being faced by the patients that are infected with HIV. Poor health literacy, therefore, is essential in ensuring that patients have a proper acquaintance of various opportunistic infections such patients are likely to face.
The research done by Barrett and Jennifer (691) shows that patients are supposed to determine precise and gratified associations the public health officials. This would enhance the capability of collecting and processing pertinent health information. Similarly, a study that was done by Stableford and Wendy (76) shows that the ability to comprehend verbal and written health information builds basic health literacy among the patients. Besides, in research done Nutbeam (89) revealed that health information is ambiguous and complex particularly for the patients who are showing inadequate health literacy. The three scholarly sources will give appropriate information for data interpretations. The articles have necessary information that would be helpful in ensuring that the pertinent information is gathered concerning low heath literacy among the HIV patients.
Method
The study will use survey polls using designed questionnaires as a tool for collecting data from the participants. The researcher will give out a questionnaire that would be distributed to the HIV care centers. The questionnaires would be filled by the patients willing to take part in the study. An explanation would be given to all the patients participating in the study. This would boost their confidence level in the study. Data collected would be coded and analyzed using SPPS software. A sample of 50 participants would be utilized for the survey. The participants will be selected randomly as long as they are willing to take part in the study. The study will similarly have ethical considerations as there would be no sharing information attained from the participants without their knowledge. Also, the researcher will seek permission from care institutions before embarking on the study. The participants shall never be compelled to take part in the study as this would violate their human rights. Analyzed data would be given for top public health officials for the implementation of the attained results for the study.
Plan
Task
Time frame
Reading key sources
3days
Designing research tools
4 days
Gathering data
6 days
Analyzing data
5 days
Writing the paper
3 days
Total
21 days
Projected Outcomes
Poor health literacy indeed portrayed as a robust obstacle for accessing various health services. Furthermore, it is presumed to be affecting adherence to medication as well as medical prescription compliance by the patients. Indeed, the research aims to look into the effects of poor health literacy on HIV patients as people living with HIV condition are prone to various opportunistic infections due to limited health literacy. From the study, the possible outcome expected is that people having limited health literacy are likely to demonstrate difficulty when it comes to an understanding medical instruction. It is similarly expected that patients having poor health literacy will indicate quiet acquiescence with all clinical prescriptions. Patients having limited health literacy will show insufficient awareness on treatment as well as poor medical observance. Therefore, the study will ensure that the health literacy in community is improved. In this perspective, it is argued that people living with HIV together with the poor health literacy abilities are anticipated to account for lower health conditions when compared to the patients having the counterparts who are health literate.
Works Cited
Barrett, Sharon E., and Jennifer Sheen Puryear. "Health literacy: improving quality of care in primary care settings." Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 17.4 (2006): 690-697.
Nutbeam, Don. "The evolving concept of health literacy." Social science & medicine 67.12 (2008): 2072-2078.
Stableford, Sue, and Wendy Mettger. "Plain language: a strategic response to the health literacy challenge." Journal of public health policy 28.1 (2007): 71-93.
