The Effect of Tailored Provider-Patient Communication on Oral Health Literacy Levels in Adults

It is estimated that 90 million adult Americans struggle to understand basic health information including consent forms, verbal instructions, and drug labels due to poor health literacy skills (Lee, Rozier, Lee, Bender & Ruiz, 2007). Similarly, limited knowledge about healthy behaviors, low use of preventive services, increased hospitalization, and poorer overall health has been associated with poor oral health literacy (OHL). Poor OHL can lead to unnecessary oral disease which has been associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung diseases, stroke, some cancers, and pre-term low birth weight (Azarpazhooh & Leake, 2006; Horowitz & Kleinman, 2008). Unfortunately, populations with lower socio-economic status, lower education levels, and lower oral healthcare service utilization, often exhibit lower OHL levels and present with higher risks of poor overall oral health (Macek et al., 2011). Although researchers have made advances regarding ways to measure OHL levels, more study is needed concerning practical ways in which to improve OHL in clinical settings. In this study, a single module face-to-face presentation, using tailored provider-patient communication via the teach-back method, was tested to examine its effect on OHL levels in adults. The effect of tailored provider-patient communication, as well as patient comprehension, was quantitatively measured to determine if an oral health instructional intervention specific to clinical settings affected OHL levels and oral health practices in adults.