CHEST Guidelines-Health-Literacy-Influences-Self-Management-Behavio

Health-Literacy-Influences-Self-Management-Behavio

Pdf Summary

The correspondence section in the December 2012 issue of CHEST addresses two main topics. The first letter, authored by Drs. Sujeev S. Bains and Sonia N. Bains, discusses an article by Patel et al. on asthma self-management, emphasizing that while the study highlighted the benefits of asthma action plans for improved clinical-patient interactions among women without such plans, it overlooked the assessment of participants' health literacy. The Bains propose that health literacy, which often does not correlate with education level and influences asthma management and communication, should be evaluated in future research. They suggest that lower health literacy may lead to poor satisfaction with asthma management and physician communication, indicating a need for comprehensive literacy measures which encompass reading, writing, and numeracy skills.<br /><br />The second part of the correspondence involves a letter by Deepak Aggarwal concerning a study on the use of serial interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release assays (IGRAs) in healthcare workers. Aggarwal queries about the predictive value of positive IGRAs in forecasting active TB development and the observed IGRA fluctuations. In response, the authors, including Jong Sun Park, acknowledge that none of the IGRA-positive workers from the study progressed to active TB; they plan longitudinal follow-ups. Additionally, they remark on the ambiguity related to IGRA result conversions during latent TB treatment and call for long-term studies to elucidate these clinical implications.<br /><br />Overall, the correspondence emphasizes the importance of advancing research methodologies, particularly the inclusion of health literacy assessments and nuanced interpretations of diagnostic tests, to enhance chronic disease management and healthcare outcomes.

Keywords

asthma self-management

health literacy

asthma action plans

clinical-patient interactions

interferon-gamma release assays

latent TB treatment

healthcare workers

diagnostic tests

chronic disease management

research methodologies