Health literacy and health care in an inner-city, total laryngectomy population

Abstract Background Literacy in the head and neck cancer patient has been understudied. Health literacy (HL) is “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health care decisions.” Limited HL skills reduce access to health care. We surveyed our patients who underwent total laryngectomy (TL) to evaluate their HL. Methods Patients who had undergone TL at Grady Hospital (Atlanta, GA), an inner-city hospital, between 1988 and 1992 were identified. Sociodemographics, general health quality of life, HL, and alaryngeal voice assessment were performed. Results Thirty patients were eligible but 14 could not be located, 4 refused, and 4 were deceased or too ill to participate. More than one third of the remaining patients had severely inadequate HL scores. Conclusion Patients who underwent TL have a high incidence of becoming lost in the system as well as having inadequate health care literacy. Health literacy may be important when considering TL.