Health literacy development of Primary Health Care patients: qualitative research.
Bruna Midori Sonoda, Carla Baioni Bonadio, Caroline Krauser
PMID 39699368WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with chronic disease said they built health knowledge mainly through family, friends, social media, body sensations and trusted professionals.
These relationships shaped self-care, while online information was useful for learning but less helpful for acting on care.
Key findings
01Twenty-two patients described health literacy as built through interpersonal relationships, social media, bodily sensations and health professionals.
02Family and friends were the most evident source of health knowledge, and guidance was facilitated when the professional was a family member or acquaintance.
03Social media helped patients construct health knowledge but did not appear to help them carry out care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 22 patients from two primary care units were interviewed, selected purposively, so the themes may not represent other populations. Interviewers were residents who already knew the population and chose participants from their own experience, which may have shaped what was said and how it was interpreted. The paper reports physical space constraints and a residency deadline that prevented exploring professional viewpoints or before and after education comparisons. No funding or conflict-of-interest statement is provided in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that involving family members or using social media improves chronic disease outcomes. The study interviewed 22 patients and reports their experiences, not measured effects.