Positive Outcomes of a Comprehensive Health Literacy Communication Training for Health Professionals in Three European Countries:A Multi-centre Pre-post Intervention Study

Many professionals have limited knowledge of how to address health literacy; they need a wider range of health literacy competencies to enhance empowerment and person-centred prevention. We evaluated whether: (1) a comprehensive health literacy training increased self-rated competencies of health professionals to address health literacy related problems and support the development of people's autonomy and self-management abilities after training and 6-12 weeks later, (2) professionals were satisfied with the training, (3) outcomes differed for the three participating European countries. Health professionals (N = 106) participated in a multicentre pre-post intervention study in Italy, the Netherlands and Northern Ireland. The 8-hour training-intervention involved health literacy knowledge, the practice of comprehensible communication skills, shared decision-making, and enhancing self-management. Self-rated health literacy competencies and training satisfaction were assessed at baseline, immediately after training and 6-12 weeks later, and analysed by multi-level analysis. Professionals' self-rated health literacy competencies significantly improved following training in all three countries; this increase persisted at 6-12 weeks follow-up. The strongest increase regarded professional's skills to enhance shared-decision making and enabling self-management after training and follow-up respectively. Professionals perceived the training as relevant for practice. Competency increases seemed to be consistent across countries. In three countries, professionals' self-rated health literacy competencies increased following this comprehensive training. These promising findings should be confirmed in a further full effect study. Implementation of this training in European education and health care may improve person-centred communication by professionals and might help to tackle health literacy related problems and to strengthen people's abilities in achieving better health outcomes

Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Health Literacy Consultation Skills Training for Undergraduate Medical Students:A Randomized Controlled Trial

Comprehensible communication by itself is not sufficient to overcome health literacy related problems. Future doctors need a larger scope of capacities in order to strengthen a patient's autonomy, participation, and self-management abilities. To date, such comprehensive training-interventions are rarely embedded in curricula, nor systematically evaluated. We assessed whether comprehensive training increased these health literacy competencies, in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), with a waiting list condition. Participants were international undergraduate medical students of a Dutch medical faculty (intervention: 39; control: 40). The 11-h-training-intervention encompassed a health literacy lecture and five interactive small-group sessions to practise gathering information and providing comprehensible information, shared decision-making, and enabling of self-management using role-play and videotaped conversations. We assessed self-reported competencies (knowledge and awareness of health literacy, attitude, self-efficacy, and ability to use patient-centred communication techniques) at baseline, after a five and ten-week follow-up. We compared students' competencies using multi-level analysis, adjusted for baseline. As validation, we evaluated demonstrated skills in videotaped consultations for a subsample. The group of students who received the training intervention reported significantly greater health literacy competencies, which persisted up to five weeks afterwards. Increase was greatest for providing comprehensible information (B: 1.50; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.15 to 1.84), shared decision-making (B: 1.08; 95% CI 0.60 to 1.55), and self-management (B: 1.21; 95% CI 0.61 to 1.80). Effects regarding demonstrated skills confirmed self-rated competency improvement. This training enhanced a larger scope of health literacy competences and was well received by medical students. Implementation and further evaluation of this training in education and clinical practice can support sustainable health literacy capacity building of future doctors and contribute to better patient empowerment and outcomes of consultations

Core health-components, contextual factors and program elements of community-based interventions in Southeast Asia:a realist synthesis regarding hypertension and diabetes

Abstract Background In Southeast Asia, diabetes and hypertension are on the rise and have become major causes of death. Community-based interventions can achieve the required behavioural change for better prevention. The aims of this review are 1) to assess the core health-components of community-based interventions and 2) to assess which contextual factors and program elements affect their impact in Southeast Asia. Methods A realist review was conducted, combining empirical evidence with theoretical understanding. Documents published between 2009 and 2019 were systematically searched in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and PsycINFO and local databases. Documents were included if they reported on community-based interventions aimed at hypertension and/or diabetes in Southeast Asian context; and had a health-related outcome; and/or described contextual factors and/or program elements. Results We retrieved 67 scientific documents and 12 grey literature documents. We identified twelve core health-components: community health workers, family support, educational activities, comprehensive programs, physical exercise, telehealth, peer support, empowerment, activities to achieve self-efficacy, lifestyle advice, activities aimed at establishing trust, and storytelling. In addition, we found ten contextual factors and program elements that may affect the impact: implementation problems, organized in groups, cultural sensitivity, synergy, access, family health/worker support, gender, involvement of stakeholders, and referral and education services when giving lifestyle advice. Conclusions We identified a considerable number of core health-components, contextual influences and program elements of community-based interventions to improve diabetes and hypertension prevention. The main innovative outcomes were, that telehealth can substitute primary healthcare in rural areas, storytelling is a useful context-adaptable component, and comprehensive interventions can improve health-related outcomes. This extends the understanding of promising core health-components, including which elements and in what Southeast Asian context

Developing and pilot testing a comprehensive health literacy communication training for health professionals in three European countries

Objective: Skills to address different health literacy problems are lacking among health professionals. We sought to develop and pilot test a comprehensive health literacy communication training for various health professionals in Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. Methods: Thirty health professionals participated in the study. A literature review focused on evidence-informed training-components. Focus group discussions (FGDs) explored perspectives from seventeen professionals on a prototype-program, and feedback from thirteen professionals following pilot-training. Pre-post questionnaires assessed self-rated health literacy communication skills. Results: The literature review yielded five training-components to address functional, interactive and critical health literacy: health literacy education, gathering and providing information, shared decision-making, enabling self-management, and supporting behaviour change. In FGDs, professionals endorsed the prototype-program and reported that the pilot-training increased knowledge and patient-centred communication skills in addressing health literacy, as shown by self-rated pre-post questionnaires. Conclusion: A comprehensive training for health professionals in three European countries enhances perceived skills to address functional, interactive and critical health literacy. Practice implications: This training has potential for wider application in education and practice in Europe. (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Reward and Punishment Sensitivity in Children with ADHD: Validating the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire for Children (SPSRQ-C)

This study validates the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire for children (SPSRQ-C), using a Dutch sample of 1234 children between 6–13 years old. Factor analysis determined that a 4-factor and a 5-factor solution were best fitting, explaining 41% and 50% of the variance respectively. The 4-factor model was highly similar to the original SPSRQ factors found in adults (Punishment Sensitivity, Reward Responsivity, Impulsivity/Fun-Seeking, and Drive). The 5-factor model was similar to the 4-factor model, with the exception of a subdivision of the Punishment Sensitivity factor into a factor with ‘social-fear’ items and a factor with ‘anxiety’ items. To determine external validity, scores of three groups of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were compared on the EFA models: ADHD-only (n = 34), ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ADHD+ASD; n = 22), ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ADHD+ODD; n = 22). All ADHD groups scored higher than typical controls on Reward Responsivity and on the ‘anxiety’ factor (n = 75). The ADHD-only and ADHD+ODD group scored higher than other groups on Impulsivity/Fun-Seeking and Drive, while the ADHD+ASD group scored higher on Punishment Sensitivity. The findings emphasize the value of the SPSRQ-C to quickly and reliably assess a child’s sensitivity to reinforcement, with the aim to provide individually-tailored behavioral interventions that utilize reward and reprimands

Moving towards a Comprehensive Approach for Health Literacy Interventions: The Development of a Health Literacy Intervention Model

Low health literacy (HL) is associated with many negative health outcomes, and is a major challenge in public health and healthcare. Interventions to improve outcomes associated with HL are needed. In this paper, we aim to develop a comprehensive HL intervention model. We used a multimethod approach, consisting of (1) a literature review of articles listed in MEDLINE, presenting HL intervention models, (2) online consultation of international HL experts, and (3) two consensus meetings with members (n = 36 and 27) of a consortium studying HL among older adults (50+) in Europe. In our literature review, we identified twenty-two HL models, only a few of which focused explicitly on interventions. Sixty-eight health literacy experts took part in the online survey. The results from all three methods came together in a comprehensive HL intervention model. This model conceptualized interventions as potentially targeting five factors affecting HL outcomes: (1) individuals’ personal characteristics, (2) individuals’ social context, (3) communication between individuals and health professionals, (4) health professionals’ HL capacities, and (5) health systems. Our model is the first comprehensive HL model focused specifically on interventions. The model can support the further development of HL interventions to improve the health outcomes of people with low HL

US Cannot Be Used to Predict the Presence or Severity of Hepatic Steatosis in Severely Obese Adolescents

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography (US) for the assessment of hepatic steatosis in severely obese adolescents, with proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy as the reference standard, and to provide insight on the influence of prevalence on predictive values by calculating positive and negative posttest probabilities. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was institutional review board approved. All participants, and/or their legal representatives, gave written informed consent. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for the overall presence of steatosis and for the presence of substantial (moderate to severe) steatosis. Positive and negative posttest probabilities were calculated and plotted against prevalence. Results: A total of 104 children (47 male, 57 female) were prospectively included. Mean age was 14.5 years (range, 8.3-18.9 years) and mean age-adjusted standard deviation body mass index (BMI) score (BMI z score) was 3.3 (range, 2.6-4.1). The overall prevalence of hepatic steatosis was 46.2% (48 of 104). Sensitivity of US was 85.4% (41 of 48), specificity was 55.4% (31 of 56), PPV was 62.1% (41 of 66), and NPV was 81.6% (31 of 38). The prevalence of substantial steatosis was 15.4% (16 of 104), with US sensitivity of 75.0% (12 of 16) and specificity of 87.5% (77 of 88). PPV was 52.2% (12 of 23) and NPV was 95.1% (77 of 81). Plotting of posttest probabilities against prevalence for both disease degrees demonstrated how disease prevalence influences US accuracy. Conclusion: Positive US results in severely obese adolescents cannot be used to accurately predict the presence and severity of hepatic steatosis, and additional imaging is required. Negative US results exclude the presence of substantial steatosis with acceptable accuracy. Steatosis prevalence differs among specific populations, strongly influencing posttest probabilities. (C) RSNA, 201

Accuracy of prediction scores and novel biomarkers for predicting nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children

Accurate prediction scores for liver steatosis are demanded to enable clinicians to noninvasively screen for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Several prediction scores have been developed, however external validation is lacking. The aim was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of four existing prediction scores in severely obese children, to develop a new prediction score using novel biomarkers and to compare these results to the performance of ultrasonography. Liver steatosis was measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 119 severely obese children (mean age 14.3 ± 2.1 years, BMI z-score 3.35 ± 0.35). Prevalence of steatosis was 47%. The four existing predictions scores ("NAFLD liver fat score," "fatty liver index," "hepatic steatosis index," and the pediatric prediction score) had only moderate diagnostic accuracy in this cohort (positive predictive value (PPV): 70, 61, 61, 69% and negative predictive value (NPV) 77, 69, 68, 75%, respectively). A new prediction score was built using anthropometry, routine biochemistry and novel biomarkers (leptin, adiponectin, TNF-alpha, IL-6, CK-18, FGF-21, and adiponutrin polymorphisms). The final model included ALT, HOMA, sex, and leptin. This equation (PPV 79% and NPV 80%) did not perform substantially better than the four other equations and did not outperform ultrasonography for excluding NAFLD (NPV 82%). The conclusion is in severely obese children and adolescents existing prediction scores and the tested novel biomarkers have insufficient diagnostic accuracy for diagnosing or excluding NAFL