Health Literacy Assessment Tool: Newest Vital Sign
Not new, but new to me.
The Newest Vital Sign is based on a nutrition label from an ice cream container. Patients are given the label and then asked 6 questions about how they would interpret and act on the information contained on the label.
Specifically, the patient is handed a copy of the nutrition label and then asked a series of 6 questions about it. Patients can and should retain the label so they can refer to it while answering questions. It is not necessary to give the patient time to review the label before asking the questions. Rather, they will review the label as they are asked and answer the questions.
The questions are asked orally and the responses recorded by a clinical staff member on a special score sheet, which contains the correct answers. Based on the number of correct responses, the health care provider can assess the patient’s health literacy level.
You can order yours here.
Yes, it is created by Pfizer- but they’ll send you a copy of the peer-review study of the Newest Vital Sign (or you can snag it yourself here).
More about NVS:
- MedScape article: Newest Vital Sign May Be an Effective Quick Screen for Health Literacy
- Pfizer’s promotional materials
[via BHIC]
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