AHA Statement Addresses Health Literacy and Communication Across Stroke Care

An American Heart Association scientific statement published in Stroke examines health literacy and communication across stroke prevention, management, and recovery. It synthesizes current evidence and identifies nurse-led opportunities to improve equity and patient-centered outcomes, while emphasizing shared interprofessional responsibility. The abstract describes health literacy as strongly associated with functional outcomes and stroke-related morbidity.

Communication demands can exceed patients’ and caregivers’ capacity, particularly among people with stroke-related cognitive or language impairments, limited English proficiency, socioeconomic disadvantage, or limited digital literacy. Interventions including teach-back–based education, dyadic psychoeducational programs, and tailored digital support have demonstrated improvements in stroke knowledge, self-efficacy, quality of life, and caregiver preparedness. The available abstract provides no sample sizes or numerical effect estimates.

The statement identifies standardized health literacy assessment, literacy-sensitive care models, and workforce training in plain-language and culturally responsive communication as future priorities. However, the literature is methodologically heterogeneous, many studies are underpowered, and validated health literacy or communication measures are used infrequently. Telehealth and artificial intelligence may support more personalized communication but require rigorous evaluation for bias, equity, and usability. These findings support attention to communication needs rather than establishing a quantified benefit from any single intervention.