An Interactive Communication Model for Self-Care—Regardless of Health Literacy: Protocol for a Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

BackgroundClear dialogue-based (interactive) communication that ensures comprehension and recall becomes more important in patient-provider interactions, especially in relation to patients with chronic diseases, where self-management education and counseling are cornerstones in managing these diseases. If patients with chronic disease experience challenges in obtaining, understanding, and applying health-related information (necessary to make informed health decisions and sufficiently manage their health), clear communication and ensuring comprehension become even more critical in the patient-provider interactions. Furthermore, patient-provider communication has been proposed as a potential pathway through which health literacy might influence health outcomes, especially in individuals with chronic diseases. Hence, adjusting communication to the individual level of health literacy might have a positive influence on health outcomes. On this basis, the authors have developed a web-based interactive communication model that both seeks to accommodate health literacy by allowing tailored communication and ensure comprehension and recall between nurses and patients.ObjectiveThis study seeks to examine the use of an IT solution that comprises an interactive communication model that seeks to accommodate health literacy in communication and ensure comprehension and recall between nurses and patients.MethodsA quasi-experimental control group study including full economic evaluation with 6-month follow-up. Based on power calculation, a total of 82 participants will be included. Participants are assigned either the interactive communication model (intervention) or usual nursing care. It will be assessed if the model influences the level of health literacy and participants experience a higher health-related quality of life. Further, cost-effectiveness will be evaluated. Overall, the statistical methods will follow an intention-to-treat principle. Results will be presented in accordance with the Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Non-randomized Designs guidelines for nonrandomized designs as well as the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards.ResultsThis paper describes a protocol for a clustered quasi-experimental control study that seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the interactive communicative model. Most studies in the field of health literacy are epidemiological studies that seek to address the effects of poor health literacy in populations and its potential impact on health inequity. A total of 82 participants, who receive community nursing will be included. The final trial day is May 1, 2022, with the first report of results in the final quarter of 2022.ConclusionsThe results of the trial can create the base for conducting a large-scale study and inspire the conduction of more studies that seeks to create and evaluate interventions aimed at enhancing the level of health literacy and reducing the usage of health resources.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04929314; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04929314International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/37673