Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Revista Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar, cilt.41, ss.421-422, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PATIENT-PHYSICIAN COMMUNICATION AND PATIENTS’ HEALTH LITERACY LEVELS
Mergen Duru 1, Limnili Gizem 1 , Gökdemir Özden 2, Özçakar Nilgün 1
1) Family Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University / Faculty of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey
2) Family Medicine, WONCA Working Party on Planetary Health / IUE Faculty of
Medicine, İzmir, Turkey
Objective: This study aimed to assess the health literacy (HL) levels of patients registered at Dokuz Eylül University Training Family Health Centers, evaluate physician-patient communication quality from patients’ perspectives, and analyze the relationship between communication and HL. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with adults (≥18 years) visiting the centers. The minimum sample size was calculated as 378 (95% confidence level, 5% margin of error, 50% prevalence), and 385 participants were included. Data were collected via a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Primary Care Assessment Scale (PCAS), and the Turkey Health Literacy Scale-32 (TSOY-32). SPSS 24.0 was used for analysis. Results: Participants (63.9% female, 69.9% married) had a mean age of 41.63 ± 13.62 years; 36.1% were university graduates. The HL distribution was 34.8% problematic/marginal, 30.1% adequate, 21.6% inadequate, and 13.5% excellent. Physician-patient communication and HL were significantly associated with age, education, marital status, occupation, and income. Conclusion: Strengthening patient-centered communication is crucial. Medical school curricula should integrate communication training, and early HL education must be prioritized for all. Improving societal HL requires multidisciplinary efforts involving physicians, public institutions, media, and educators.