OBJECTIVES

: Adequate health literacy levels are known to be linked with positive treatment outcomes. The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases along with co-morbidities in Pakistan is reported to be higher. The study was aimed to examine health literacy levels and its socioeconomic determinants among cardiovascular patients.

METHODS

: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on patients visiting cardiology outdoor patients department (OPD) of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. A pre-validated questionnaire was used for data collection. A total of 163 patients were enrolled in the study based on inclusion criteria and pilot study. The data was recorded as per respondent’s interviews during face-to-face meeting and analyzed using SPSS version 21

RESULTS

: Overall, poor health literacy levels were reported among the study respondents. The results demonstrated strong and significant correlation between health literacy and the following parameters [Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r), p value(p)]: patient’s knowledge about medications (r= 0.777, p=0.000), knowledge of adverse effects (r=0.687, p=0.000), language barrier (r=0.681, p=0.000), patient’s knowledge of ADRs (r=0.686, p=0.000), knowledge of poly-pharmacy (r=0.690, p=0.000), basis of identification of medicines (r=0.727, p=0.000), perception about role of exercise in improving the quality of life (Pearson’s r=0.714, p=0.000) and patient’s compliance as rated by physician (r=0.717, p=0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

: Taken together, the study concluded that cardiac patients’ pharmacotherapy plans were affected by inadequate health literacy and its socioeconomic determinants. Critical steps by utilizing a collaboration of physicians, pharmacist and nurses are urgently required to be taken in order to improve health literacy levels of Pakistani population.