Seniors' medical literacy could affect life span
Patient Access Weekly Advisor, August 1, 2007
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Senior citizens who do not understand the language used in the doctor's office may be at higher risk for premature death, according to researchers from Northwestern University.
The researchers tested the health literacy of 3,000 senior citizens and classified them as having inadequate, marginal or adequate knowledge of basic medical practices, according to a story in the Boston Globe. These practices include the ability to understand Medicaid forms or determine when to take medication.
Six years later, the researchers found that 39% of the patents with inadequate health care knowledge had died, concluding that elderly patients with a sub-par understanding of healthcare knowledge are at a higher risk of early death than those who do understand the material.
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