Low health literacy levels in patients with chronic retinal disease

BACKGROUND: A patient’s health literacy is fundamental for navigating the health system and managing disease. This study aimed to compare the health literacy levels of patients with chronic retinal disease in Denmark. METHODS: This cross-sectional questionnaire study used the validated HLS-EU-Q16 questionnaire to determine the health literacy of 225 patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME) or retinal vein occlusion (RVO), receiving intravitreal treatment at the retinal clinic, Zealand University Hospital, Denmark. Patients were consecutively included as participants for the study. All patients had the option of having the survey read aloud to them. RESULTS: Health literacy levels between the patient groups did not differ significantly, however, the proportion of patients with poor health literacy was high—65% of AMD patients, 73% of DME patients, and 63% of patients with RVO. CONCLUSIONS: Low health literacy of patients with retinal disease signify a need for more health literacy research in the field of retinal diseases, to secure that patients have the timely and appropriate knowledge and competencies to manage their condition.