The health literacy dyad: the contribution of future GPs in England

Background Health literacy studies have primarily focused on the cognitive and social skills of individuals needed to gain access to, understand, and use health information. This area of study is undergoing a paradigm shift with increased attention being paid to the skills of practitioners and an examination of their contribution to the link between literacy and health outcomes. The aim of this study was to describe the health literacy related competencies of General Practice trainees who will soon be responsible for the clinical encounter. Methods A cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of 206 GP trainees was con-ducted online. Univariate and bivariate analysis methods were used to describe GP trainees’ health literacy-related competencies. Results GP trainees overestimated the numeracy and literacy levels of the English pop-ulation and did not regard the improvement of patient health literacy as a GP responsibility. GP trainees rated their general communication skills highly but the skills that are important for patients in health decision making such as coaching skills, explaining risk and using visual aids to clarify were rated low. Conclusion This study demonstrates that health literacy is insufficiently addressed in the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education of GPs. Training of future GPs may rely too much on direct exposure to patients in clinical placements, which may be insufficient to address health literacy-related competences in a comprehensive way.