2020 Incentive Grant Recipients

Residents and their Preceptors

Kailen Kelly

Project Proposal: Health Literacy and its Effects on Lowering A1c in Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Kailen Kelly, PharmD currently serves as the PGY1 Community Pharmacy Resident at Mathes Pharmacy and Diabetes Center in New Albany, IN. She graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.

The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes, and people who develop type 2 diabetes nearly always have prediabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes can be fatal due to the many complications it can cause. However, only a small percentage of adults have proficient health literacy; in other words, nearly nine out of ten adults lack the skills needed to manage their health and prevent disease. After learning from the results of this study, the goal is to address this issue of inadequate health literacy and assist patients with increasing their health literacy level to improve the management of their health.

Her motivation behind this project proposal comes from her experience working with underserved patients. During her encounters with this patient population, she empathized with them for she could see their frustration, fear, and hopelessness regarding managing their condition and seeking better health.  

"I am thankful for being granted the APhA Foundation Incentive Grant for it will give me the opportunity to study and address this significant issue of inadequate health literacy and lack of self-efficacy and self-motivation amongst patients. I am eager to learn more about the barriers and obstacles patients are experiencing contributing to their inadequate health literacy, so I can learn how to better assistance them and do my due diligence as a healthcare professional."