Health literacy focused communication training for primary healthcare providers working with older adults: A scoping review

Introduction: Health literacy plays an important role in facilitating communication and enabling effective healthcare delivery. Enhancing the health literacy skills of primary healthcare providers can lead to better health outcomes for patients and potentially reduce medical costs, but primary healthcare providers receive little or inconsistent training in health literacy and related communication skills. 

Material and methods: A novel systematic literature search was conducted across four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane and CINAHL) to identify relevant communication training interventions from 2010 to 2024. 

Results: Eighteen interventions were included. Most were implemented in the United States and were quasi-experimental in design. Training methods and modalities varied and many improved provider health literacy outcomes, particularly self-efficacy and communication skills. 

Conclusions: Health literacy-focused communication training interventions demonstrate promise in enhancing the skills of primary healthcare providers who work with older adults. Enhancing provider education can improve healthcare delivery and older adult patient health literacy outcomes.