Health literacy and PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 completion in urogynecology patients

Introduction and hypothesis Our objectives were to describe the health literacy (HL) of urogynecology patients, characterize women with and without adequate HL, and compare errors made on the PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7. Methods English-speaking women presenting to an academic urogynecology clinic in June–July 2018 were invited to complete questionnaires including the Newest Vital Sign™ (NVS), the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory—Short Form 20 (PFDI-20), and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-Short Form 7 (PFIQ-7). An NVS score > 4 indicated adequate HL. Descriptive analyses compared women with and without adequate HL and the rates and types of errors made on the PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7. Results The mean age of participants ( N = 115) was 65 + 15 years; 87% were white/Caucasian; 62% were college-educated. NVS scores indicated likely adequate HL in 61%. Participants at risk for limited HL (39%) were older, less educated, more likely to live alone, and more likely to require assistance to manage their healthcare (all p