Empowering Health Literacy in Low Socioeconomic Status Populations: A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Heart Failure

Abstract Background: Socioeconomic status and health literacy are key factors in improving health outcomes. Among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), this is especially important as patients must simultaneously manage their diet, exercise, and medication regimen. Objectives: To improve health literacy and understanding of CHF among low socioeconomic patients through educational binders. Methods: Patients with a new diagnosis of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction were enrolled during their first visit to CHF clinic and provided an educational binder created by an interdisciplinary team. At each visit, patients were administered the health literacy questionnaire and the CHF education questionnaire until graduation from the program. Results: Twenty-three patients were enrolled between February and November 2023, with 8 (34.8%) graduating an average of 22.0±9.0 weeks after enrollment. From baseline to graduation/last visit, health literacy score was significantly improved from 13.8±4.4 to 25.5±3.9 (p=0.03) while CHF education score trended from 46.2±11.3 to 50.2±8.1 (p=0.66). Between enrollment and up to 12 weeks after graduation, 5 patients (21.7%) were readmitted to the hospital at least once with 3 (13.0%) readmitted specifically for CHF. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated a positive impact on health literacy among patients enrolled in the binder program with low all-cause and CHF-related readmission rates. Overall, the CHF binder program exemplifies a promising approach to bridging the information gap for low-income patients with CHF. Further research and broader implementation of similar initiatives are warranted to advance health equity and improve outcomes for low-income individuals with chronic conditions.