Educational Alternatives, Volume 17, 2019

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study is to find out how the health literacy of patients with hypertension is examined. The intention of the study is to identify, appraise, and synthesize available health literacy assessment instruments used in patients with hypertension. Methods: In the electronic databases Ebsco Academic Search Complete were searched for primary studies that used validated measures to assess health literacy in patients with hypertension. The search for the research studies was based on a combination of the following keywords: health literacy, hypertension, measurement, information, and knowledge. Exclusion criteria: not a primary study, does not concern research on hypertension, unrelated to health literacy research or obtaining of information and acquiring of knowledge, not available in full-text, or clear research methodology description not available. The data were processed using thematic analysis based on the sorting method. Results: The health literacy in patients with hypertension are not widely studied. The majority of studies used quantitative methods of research with standardized tools. Fourteen studies were included. Six health literacy assessment instruments were identified, of which only one was disease-specific. The Health Literacy Survey (HLS) and The Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA) were found to be the most commonly used instrument to assess health literacy in hypertension. Conclusions: The standardized instrument are the most widely used to evaluate health literacy in hypertension population. There is a lack of hypertension-specific health literacy screening instruments.