Exploring Information Seeking Anxiety Among Localized Prostate Cancer Patients

Information seeking anxiety is a multidimensional construct that is operationalized as having elements of worry, confusion, and disorganization. Much remains unknown about the ways information seeking anxiety operates among cancer patients in the United States. This study investigated the application of the information seeking anxiety concept among prostate cancer patients by documenting their assessment experiences and examining relationships between information seeking anxiety and treatment information search behaviors. A purposive sample of African American and Caucasian men (N = 63) within 5 years of being diagnosed with localized disease (stage T1 or T2) were recruited to participate through cancer registries, advertisements, and word-of-mouth. Participants completed a self-administered survey with items that collected demographic information, treatment information-seeking behaviors, and information seeking anxiety evaluations. All surveys were completed in one sitting and a majority of men (82.5%, N = 52) completed the information seeking anxiety assessment with no assistance. During their first interactions with available sources of information (e.g., doctors, internet, peers), most survivors (95.2%, N = 60) reported some level of information seeking anxiety. Specifically, 55.5% (N = 35) were confused about what to look for, 60.3% (N = 38) were worried they would not find the right information, 55.5% (N = 35) were uncomfortable with the search process, and 49.2% (N = 31) reported being disorganized. The composite information seeking anxiety measure was moderately correlated with men's self-reported time to start searching for treatment information (p = .02; r = .306). Information seeking anxiety appears to delay the treatment information gathering activities of prostate cancer survivors with localized disease. This previously undocumented barrier to the delivery of prostate cancer care services should be investigated in other studies with larger and more diverse samples.

Utilizing the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) to Assess Health Literacy at a Regional Academic Medical Center's Family Medicine Clinic

Researchers examined the correlation between the physician's subjective assessment of health literacy rates and actual health literacy rates among patients as determined by the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). A sample of n = 150 patients, 18 years of age or older, were verbally interviewed using NVS tool before seeing their physician. After the physician met with the patient, the physician was asked to measure that patient's level of health literacy on a Likert-type scale and a "yes/no" scale. Frequency and percentage statistics were performed in SPSS to describe the distributions of patient and physician responses. Between-subjects statistics were used. Analysis of the patient surveys revealed one in 4 patients has a high likelihood of low health literacy. Analysis revealed there were significant positive correlations between physician response to perception of a patient's low health literacy risk and NVS survey responses. Despite the risk of limited literacy, 97.3% of physicians perceived the patient to understand what the physician was saying. Physicians should use teach-back and other health literacy principles with each patient, regardless of perceived risk.

Strategic Combination of Theory, Plain Language, and Trusted Messengers Contribute to COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: Lessons Learned from Development and Dissemination of a Community Toolkit

Widely accepted practices for the development of health education materials include the use of theoretically driven content, the execution of plain language writing and design strategies, the solicitation of community input, and a plan for dissemination via trusted messengers. Here, we describe the development of a COVID-19 vaccine education toolkit and share preliminary outcomes from dissemination via community health workers. The toolkit was developed to equip community messengers to educate community members about the COVID-19 vaccine. It includes an easy-to-read workbook for community learners, a Leader Guide with scripting, and additional resources for community health workers and other local messengers. The Health Belief Model was used to select content for the workbook, which was refined with input from community members. A team of trained plain language writers worked with clinicians and subject matter experts to draft content that was deemed readable, understandable, and actionable by formal measures and drafts were further refined with additional community feedback. Survey results from community health workers who used the toolkit to provide local education about COVID-19 vaccines indicate that the toolkit facilitated confidence in their ability to deliver scientific content to their community members. More than two-thirds report that use of the toolkit facilitated community members' decisions to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

Caregivers' Information Overload and Their Personal Health Literacy

Caregivers may receive information at a rate far higher than their individual abilities to process. Hence, caregivers can cause less desirable health outcomes for their care recipients. This study sought to identify caregiver information overload in comparison to noncaregivers. Relating factors such as caregiving contexts, health status, and personal health literacy were also compared between caregivers and noncaregivers. Using a nationally representative survey, the Health Information National Trends Survey, the differences between caregivers and noncaregivers regarding information overload were compared. A total of 2,918 noncaregivers and 484 caregivers were identified. More than two-thirds of the study sample demonstrated information overload regardless of caregiving status. Male, less educated, lower income, married, and employed caregivers are likely overloaded with information. Caregivers with information overload show less healthy conditions and expressed more information seeking burden. Effective countermeasures of heavy information overload should be devised based on specific causes and their accompanying consequences.