NR 449 Week 3 RUA – Topic Search Strategy

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-449 Evidence-Based Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Clinical Question

The clinical issue explored in this paper is the influence of health literacy on disease prevention, with a specific focus on asthma management in children. Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others” (CDC, 2022). Individuals with limited health literacy may struggle to comprehend medical information, which can adversely affect their ability to manage health conditions effectively. For instance, a parent may be hesitant to sign a consent form for a child’s blood transfusion because they do not understand the form, delaying critical care and potentially jeopardizing the child’s health.

Several factors, including education level, health history, socioeconomic status, age, and access to healthcare resources, affect an individual’s health literacy. Research suggests that improving health literacy can significantly impact healthcare utilization, potentially reducing avoidable hospitalizations by 26%, readmissions by 9%, and emergency department visits by 18% (United Health Group, 2020). Based on this background, the PICOT question guiding this paper is: “In children diagnosed with asthma, does low health literacy compared to high health literacy play a role in reduced disease management?” This paper examines differences in health outcomes for children with asthma based on the level of health literacy among their caregivers and explores strategies for enhancing health education.

Levels of Evidence

The PICOT question focuses on the prognosis of pediatric asthma and examines how health literacy affects disease progression. Prognosis refers to the expected course and outcome of a disease. To effectively address this question, a combination of quantitative and qualitative research is necessary. Quantitative studies provide measurable data on the relationship between caregivers’ health literacy levels and children’s asthma management. For example, these studies may examine how knowledge gaps among caregivers influence adherence to asthma treatment plans and the frequency of exacerbations.

Qualitative research complements this by capturing subjective experiences from caregivers, healthcare providers, and patients. These insights help identify barriers to understanding health information, challenges in medication adherence, and the emotional and social factors affecting asthma management. By integrating both research methods, healthcare providers can gain a comprehensive understanding of the influence of health literacy on pediatric asthma outcomes.

Search Strategy

The search strategy for this paper focused on two primary areas: health literacy and pediatric asthma. The initial search was conducted in the Chamberlain University Library using the keywords “pediatric health literacy with asthma” and filtered for articles published between 2017 and 2022. This search yielded 76 results. The first relevant article identified, titled The Impact of Caregiver Health Literacy on Pediatric Asthma: An Integrative Review, was initially inaccessible due to a broken link. A subsequent search through the NIH Library of Medicine provided free full-text access to the article by Abrams (2020), which examines the effect of caregiver health literacy on asthma management in children.

For the second article, the search terms “asthma management in children” were used in the Chamberlain University Library, yielding 5,949 results. Filtering for publications between 2017 and 2022, the article Designing an Indoor Air Quality Monitoring App for Asthma Management in Children: User-Centered Design Approach (Kim, Park, & Ackerman, 2021) was selected. This article discusses the development of a mobile application designed to monitor indoor air quality and improve asthma management, providing practical insight into interventions that support caregivers and children in managing asthma effectively.

NR 449 Week 3 RUA – Topic Search Strategy

Table: Summary of Search Strategy

Conclusion

Health literacy is a pivotal factor in improving healthcare outcomes, as it empowers caregivers and patients to make informed health decisions. Evidence-based research highlights that interventions targeting health literacy can enhance disease management and reduce preventable hospital visits, particularly in pediatric asthma care. By understanding the impact of caregiver health literacy on children’s asthma outcomes, healthcare professionals can design educational strategies and tools, such as user-centered apps, to improve disease management. Advancing health literacy not only promotes better health outcomes but also supports the development of effective, patient-centered healthcare strategies.

References

Abrams, E. (2020). The impact of caregiver health literacy on pediatric asthma: An integrative review. Pediatric Allergy Immunology Pulmonology, 33(3), 110–116. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9353981/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). What is health literacy. https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/index.html

Improving health literacy could prevent nearly 1 million hospital visits and save over $25 billion a year. (2020). United Health Group. https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/content/dam/UHG/PDF/About/Health-LiteracyBrief.pdf

NR 449 Week 3 RUA – Topic Search Strategy

Kim, S., Park, Y., & Ackerman, M. (2021). Designing an indoor air quality monitoring app for asthma management in children: User-centered design approach. JMIR Formative Research, 5(9), e27447. https://www-proquestcom.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/publiccontent/docview/2575368864?pq-origsite=primos