Hispanic caregivers of individuals with ADRD reported key information and communication needs/tasks. Only Spanish-speaking participants reported Internet and technology use deficits suggesting the requirement for further technology support. Data show a need for online tools to meet the needs of caregivers.

Pregnant women need high-quality, timely information for self-management. The extent to which digital education resources meet their needs is unclear. This study elucidated how low-income pregnant women characterize their digital information needs and seeking processes and identified barriers/facilitators to meeting them. Focus groups bookending field-testing of a digital maternity education resource elicited barriers to and facilitators of Internet access, Internet use patterns, preferred methods to access information, and explored acceptability and desired features of online resources. Content analysis was used to analyze transcripts and six thematic categories were identified. Digital maternity education resources should be flexible, easily shared with loved ones, and responsive to users' experiences. Although helpful, digital resources are insufficient to meet pregnant women's need for social support.

Objective Health literacy measurement can help inform healthcare service delivery. The objective of this study is to identify validated tools to measure health literacy among Spanish speakers and to summarize characteristics that are relevant when selecting tools for use in clinical or research settings. Methods An English and Spanish search of 9 databases was conducted between October 2014 and May 2015. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles presenting initial validation and psychometric properties of a tool to measure health literacy among Spanish speaking patients. Characteristics relevant to tool selection were reviewed and presented. Results Twenty articles validating19 instruments met inclusion criteria. Instruments were designed for use with Spanish speakers in numerous contexts and measured different health literacy skills such as reading comprehension or numeracy. Methods used to validate tools were inconsistent across instruments. Conclusion Although tools have inconsistencies and inefficiencies, many can be used for assessment of health literacy among Spanish speakers. Practice implications Healthcare providers, organizations, and researchers can use this review to select effective health literacy tools to indicate patient’s ability to understand and use health information so that services and materials can be more appropriately tailored to Spanish speaking patients.

Objective The study sought to design symptom reports of longitudinal patient-reported outcomes data that are understandable and meaningful to end users. Materials and Methods We completed a 2-phase iterative design and evaluation process. In phase I, we developed symptom reports and refined them according to expert input. End users then completed a survey containing demographics, a measure of health literacy, and items to assess visualization preferences and comprehension of reports. We then collected participants’ perspectives on reports through semistructured interviews and modified them accordingly. In phase II, refined reports were evaluated in a survey that included demographics, validated measures of health and graph literacy, and items to assess preferences and comprehension of reports. Surveys were administered using a think-aloud protocol. Results Fifty-five English- and Spanish-speaking end users, 89.1% of whom had limited health literacy, participated. In phase I, experts recommended improvements and 20 end users evaluated reports. From the feedback received, we added emojis, changed date and font formats, and simplified the y-axis scale of reports. In phase II, 35 end users evaluated refined designs, of whom 94.3% preferred reports with emojis, the favorite being a bar graph combined with emojis, which also promoted comprehension. In both phases, participants literally interpreted reports and provided suggestions for future visualizations. Conclusions A bar graph combined with emojis was participants’ preferred format and the one that promoted comprehension. Target end users must be included in visualization design to identify literal interpretations of images and ensure final products are meaningful.

Findings demonstrate unmet information need and that information received may not always be understood. Methods to improve health education are needed to ensure patients receive health information in an understandable way.

Findings revealed a large number of publications but an uneven geographical distribution of nurse-led clinical research and an evident gap of midwifery-related research in Latin America and the Caribbean. Results may be used to build research agendas to promote nursing and midwifery research capacity and further establish evidence-based practice.

An assessment of information needs is essential for care planning for patients living with chronic diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The extent to which these assessments have been conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is unknown. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to identify, evaluate, and summarize what research has been conducted to examine patient perceptions of their health-information needs among adults living with HIV in LAC. Using an integrative review methodology, a literature search of six databases was conducted in April and May 2015. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles published in English or Spanish that assessed the information needs of HIV-positive patients living in LAC. The quality of included articles was assessed and relevant characteristics of each article were extracted, compared, and presented. Searches returned 1885 citations, 11 of which met inclusion criteria. Studies included were conducted in 8 of 33 countries, used multiple research designs, demonstrated varying needs between populations, and found numerous unmet information needs. Information about HIV in general, methods of infection transmission, antiretroviral medications, other sexually transmitted diseases, and effective coping mechanisms were the most commonly mentioned needs. Healthcare providers were the largest and most reliable source of health information for many participants and it was emphasized that in order for health education to be effective, programs should include both individual and group components. Patients indicated that they may have difficulty processing and using information through an incorrect understanding of medications, not changing risk behaviors, and by stating that information can be overwhelming or poorly communicated. Further research on information needs is warranted so that healthcare providers and organizations may provide the information patients need to appropriately manage their health.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the information that persons living with HIV (PLWH) in a limited‐resource setting need to effectively manage their health. Design and Methods A data sources triangulation method was used to compare data from three separate sources: (a) 107 interviews with Spanish‐speaking PLWH being seen at a healthcare clinic in the Dominican Republic (DR); (b) 40 interviews with Spanish‐speaking healthcare providers from the same clinic in the DR; and (c) an integrative literature review of English‐ and Spanish‐language articles that assessed the health information needs of PLWH in Latin America and the Caribbean. We compared information needs across sources and developed a prioritized list of the topics important to provide PLWH in a clinical setting. Findings Triangulation identified the most important topics for HIV‐related health education for PLWH as medication and adherence, followed by transmission, including risks and prevention strategies, mental health management, and knowledge of HIV in general. Conclusions The identification of evidence‐based health education priorities establishes a guide that healthcare providers may use to help PLWH effectively manage their health and creates a foundation from which further studies on improving clinical interactions may be generated. Clinical Relevance Using the priorities identified, nurses and other health educators can improve patient education, and consequently self‐management, by making evidence‐based choices about what information to provide to their patients.