"Uninformedness," the paper notes (bringing a new word into existence), "could result from willful ignorance, as large credit card balances are not welcome information, from difficulty understanding the growth of credit card balances," or from other barriers to knowledge.
The use of graphics and charts were cited as useful inclusions, particularly since these made it easier to explain complex information to individuals who may have difficulty understanding verbal information, or who do not have good English language skills.
A study of information technology use and literacy found that nearly one of two U.S. adults has difficulty understanding information necessary to make basic health decisions [ 52]. ▪ Special Needs.
When young people had difficulty understanding information given to them they lost interest in the consultation and stopped listening [ 42] and they adopted a passive role [ 44].
However, these findings need to be treated cautiously; as Hollowell and her colleagues and others have demonstrated, even highly educated individuals may have difficulty understanding information communicated during the process of consent, and specifically, the differences between research and clinical practice [ 61- 63].
This aligns with the contention people can absorb only a small amount of information at a time and have difficulty understanding some kinds of information.
The second and third most frequently-reported barriers were difficulty understanding medical information (26%), and difficulty understanding medical information due to linguistic problems (24%).
As shown by our research group and others, families exhibit symptoms of anxiety (70%) and depression (35%) in the first few days after admission, as well as symptoms of stress (33%) and difficulty understanding the information delivered by the healthcare staff (50%).
A substantial proportion of citizens would have difficulty understanding existing information, which would potentially hinder effective health-seeking behaviors.
(3) How often do you have problems learning about your medical condition because of difficulty understanding written information?
