Patients with low musculoskeletal health literacy are at a greater risk for complications than patients with higher literacy, according to research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Researchers distributed a questionnaire to 231 patients who visited foot or ankle surgeons to evaluate their literacy in musculoskeletal problems.
The key details to know:
1.Researchers found 49 percent had limited musculoskeletal health literacy.
2. Respondents who were smokers, non-white and not college-educated were more likely to have limited musculoskeletal health literacy.
3. Researchers concluded, "In this study, the patients at the greatest risk of limited MHL are often at the risk of many other complications. These results should be used as a groundwork to craft directives aimed at improving MHL and outcomes in these patients."