Efficiently Assessing Patient Health Literacy: The BHLS Instrument

Although health literacy limitations are common among patient populations, no efficient yet comprehensive health literacy assessment tool is available to nurses for use in busy health care settings. This study presents beginning evidence for the validity and reliability of a new health literacy assessment tool, the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS). One hundred patients attending four primary care clinics completed the BHLS and the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) short form and answered questions about the health literacy tools. Findings indicated significant correlations between BHLS and shortened version of the TOFHLA (S-TOFHLA) scores, with higher correlations between BHLS items addressing written health literacy and the S-TOFHLA. Comparative discrimination findings were significant at BHLS cut point of 18 and S-TOFHLA cut point less than 23. Patients rated the BHLS significantly less difficult to complete than the S-TOFHLA. Results of preliminary testing indicate the BHLS is a potentially efficient, effective, and patient-friendly screening tool for health literacy.