Health Literacy Among a Formerly Incarcerated Population Using Data From the Transitions Clinic Network

This 2018 article by Kristie Hadden and colleagues describes a study of patients within 6 months after release from prison. The patients received primary care at a clinic in the Transitions Clinic Network (TCN). TCN provides technical assistance and training to community clinics across the United States. The aim is to help these clinics better serve people with chronic health conditions who were recently released from prison.

The researchers found that 60 percent of the patients in their study had inadequate health literacy. This was linked with lower confidence in taking medicines properly and with higher acute care use.