Understanding Health Literacy Through the Lens of Phronesis: The Case of Coronary Artery Disease Patients

In research as well as in clinical settings, health literacy is often measured using self-rated psychometric instruments. Research has, however, shown that although patients perform poorly on health literacy measures, over time, they tend to develop skills and strategies to empower themselves to manage their chronic disease conditions. In this study using focus group interviews as a methodology, and information landscapes and phronesis as conceptual building blocks, we tried to understand how patients acquire, evaluate, and use health information to deal with their chronic disease conditions. Phronesis refers to practical knowledge and wisdom that people develop through experience and is enacted by patients to make health-related decisions and engage in healthy behaviors. Results show that patients enact a number of strategies that reflect phronesis when managing their chronic conditions. Findings from this study are discussed to evaluate phronesis as an important concept for understanding successful chronic disease self-management. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed.