| dc.description.abstract | Whether by means of surgery, medication, or intervention, the primary focus of physicians is to improve the health and well-being of their patients. The well-being of the patient is influenced by the patient-professional interaction, and a slew of factors go into building that relationship (Cramm & Nieboer, 2015). One of these factors is the education level, and more specifically the health literacy level, of the patients. Health literacy is defined as “one’s ability to obtain, understand, and use health information to make appropriate health decisions,” and it governs not only the doctor-patient relationship, but also has influences on the accrued cost, quality of, and access to medicine (Clark, 2011). A 2014 review by Kelley et. al defines the doctor-patient relationship as having two facets: emotional and cognitive care. A poor educational background or insufficient health literacy may interfere with both forms of care, but directly impairs cognitive care, as it is based on the ability to share information and manage expectations. Rothman et. al (2004) found that patient literacy may also be a significant predictor of intervention success rates and is therefore crucial in managing patient outcomes. As technological advancements increasingly become a part of healthcare and hospital day to day activities, it is crucial to understand the effects it may have on patient-physician interactions, patient financial burden, and patient health outcomes. Though definitive results may be difficult to achieve due to the subjectivity of the data and the opinions surrounding technology in
healthcare, the analysis is a necessary one (Junewicz & Youngner, 2015). Ultimately, the effects
of health literacy and technology on patient outcomes may be the difference between worsening
conditions and patient recovery. | en_US |
