Examination of the relationship between health literacy and patient satisfaction in family health centers: The case of Amasya

Health literacy is regarded as an issue that should be given importance by the individuals themselves, service providers and other stakeholders. While it is considered that the level of health literacy is one of the issues affecting patient satisfaction, it is predicted that the satisfaction of patients whose expectations are met will also increase. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the health literacy levels of patients and their satisfaction levels in Family Health Centers. The study, which was planned as a cross-sectional and descriptive study, was carried out in a total of 48 Family Health Centers in the Central district of Amasya province in proportion to the registered population, with a multi-stage, stratified and quota sampling method. In the study, the data obtained from 417 participants through the measurement tool were evaluated. When the distribution of the participants into health literacy categories according to their index scores is made, 7.5% of them are at "Insufficient", 50.4% with "Problematic", 33.2% with "Adequate" and only 8.9% at "Excellent" level. they were found. When health literacy levels were evaluated, it was seen that female participants had higher literacy than male participants. While it was determined that the level of health literacy differed according to gender, education and income level, it was seen that there was no difference in terms of marital status, place of residence and chronic diseases. When the results of the research were evaluated in terms of patient satisfaction, satisfaction from Family Health Centers in the Central district of Amasya was found to be 71.2%, slightly below the country average. When the satisfaction levels of the participants were evaluated, it was seen that the female participants were more satisfied with the services provided. It has been determined that the level of satisfaction is related to gender, income-expenditure, education, number of visits to the physician and place of residence. It was determined that there was a statistically significant, very weak and weak linear relationship (p<0.05) between the health literacy index score, the main process of health care, and all sub-dimensions of the satisfaction scale for health services and the total score of the scale. It is thought that the rising health literacy level of individuals who demand health services will not only enable the correct evaluation of the service received and contribute positively to the increase in the level of patient satisfaction, but also determine the needs of the patient correctly by properly shaping the service demands.