Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
11-17-2025
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Beverly Clark
Abstract
Non-adherence to appointments remains an impediment to health continuity. It has been especially pervasive in rural settings. Numerous scholarly articles in the healthcare literature support enhancing health literacy in organizations and training in effective communication to promote patient appointment compliance. Hence, the purpose of the quality improvement (QI) project was not only to encourage appointment compliance but also to enhance the application of the Teach-Back Method through health literacy education. The theoretical perspective and practice application, according to Lewin’s Change Theory and the PDSA approach, included a four-week intervention period, during which the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit was used. Before and after the intervention, data were collected using the Teach-Back Conviction-Consistency-Confidence Self-Assessment Tool, Communication Self-Assessment Tool, along with appointment compliance data from electronic patient health records. There was significant improvement in using the teach-back method, namely conviction (p = 0.081), consistency (z = 5.88, p < 0.001), and consistency (z = -4.80, p < 0.001). There was also improvement in patient appointment non-shows, dropping from 13.5% to 10.4%, characterized by both statistical and clinical significance. The limitations of the project were acute, with only four weeks devoted to changing practice, alongside shifting support from phone calls to text reminders. The evidence validates the application of evidence-based initiatives in health literacy training, advancing more effective patient communication, involvement, and practice outcomes consonant with the DNP vision, in which evidence translates into sustained practice change.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Johnson- Nganbou Kamkeu, Christine A., "Quality Improvement Project: Improving Patient Appointment Adherence Through Staff Education on Health Literacy" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 237.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/237
