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Health Literacy

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HL on meso-level

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Learning outcomes

You are able to:

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• elaborate different dimensions and criteria of organisational HL

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• identify facilitators and barriers related to organisational HL dimensions

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• describe how to promote an equitable access of Health Care (e.g. health information and services)

Levels of Health Literacy

Macro level

Meso level

Micro level

involves the general preconditions for implementing good care into practice. This includes, in particular, policy and related activities at the organizational or national level.

addresses the organization of care, with a particular focus on optimizing existing structures and processes

focusses on the direct interaction between the health care provider and clients

[Koh et al. 2013, in Murugesu et al. 2018]

HL on meso-level

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• Health care systems have a complex nature and they are in rapid change and evolution.

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• They are not always design according to the user’s abilities, specially for limited HL patients.

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• This makes them difficult to access and use.

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• Health systems and health organizations do also have an important roll in health literacy. This is known as Organizational Health Literacy (OHL)

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[Hayran, & Ege 2022]

HL on meso-level

Organizational Health Literacy (OHL) is defined as:

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• “The ability of health organizations to provide services and information that are easy to find, understand and use, to assist people in decision making, and to remove existing barriers to all individuals who are seeking services”

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• “The way in which services, organisations and systems make health information and resources available and accessible to people according to health literacy strengths and limitations”

[Hayran, & Ege 2022]

HL on meso-level

Image 1. Organisational structures of services and informations

HL on meso-level

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Criteria characterizing health literate health care organizations:

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1. Communication with service users
2. Easy access and navigation
3. Integration and prioritization of OHL
4. Assessments and organizational development
5. Engagement and support of service users
6. Information and qualification of staff

[Bremer et al. 2021]

HL on meso-level

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Criteria characterizing health literate health care organizations:

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1. Communication with service users
2. Easy access and navigation
3. Integration and prioritization of OHL
4. Assessments and organizational development
5. Engagement and support of service users
6. Information and qualification of staff

• Education & information
• Easy to understand written materials
• Printed materials
• Forms
• Webpage
• Verification of understanding

[Bremer et al. 2021]

HL on meso-level

Image 2. Physiotherapeutic exercises

[Brach et al. 2012]

HL on meso-level

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Criteria characterizing health literate health care organizations:

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1. Communication with service users
2. Easy access and navigation
3. Integration and prioritization of OHL
4. Assessments and organizational development
5. Engagement and support of service users
6. Information and qualification of staff

• Navigating health care services
• Arrival
• Wayfinding
• Physical access
• Telephone & online navigation
• Provision of information & staff assistance

[Bremer et al. 2021]

HL on meso-level

Image 3. Navigation

Image 4. Finding informations on websites

HL on meso-level

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Criteria characterizing health literate health care organizations:

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1. Communication with service users
2. Easy access and navigation
3. Integration and prioritization of OHL
4. Assessments and organizational development
5. Engagement and support of service users
6. Information and qualification of staff

• Commitment, integration into planning
• Dedication of resources
• Dissemination of OHL

[Bremer et al. 2021]

HL on meso-level

Image 5. Plan actions

[Brach et al. 2012]

HL on meso-level

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Criteria characterizing health literate health care organizations:

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1. Communication with service users
2. Easy access and navigation
3. Integration and prioritization of OHL
4. Assessments and organizational development
5. Engagement and support of service users
6. Information and qualification of staff

• Evaluation, assessment, research, quality management
• Needs identification
• Transformation & development

[Bremer et al. 2021]

HL on meso-level

Image 6. Evalution of the materials

HL on meso-level

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Criteria characterizing health literate health care organizations:

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1. Communication with service users
2. Easy access and navigation
3. Integration and prioritization of OHL
4. Assessments and organizational development
5. Engagement and support of service users
6. Information and qualification of staff

• Consultation & engagement of service users
• Support for self-management
• Family & caregivers

[Bremer et al. 2021]

HL on meso-level

Image 7. Material physiotherapy exercises

Image 8. Material physiotherapy best postures

HL on meso-level

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Criteria characterizing health literate health care organizations:

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1. Communication with service users
2. Easy access and navigation
3. Integration and prioritization of OHL
4. Assessments and organizational development
5. Engagement and support of service users
6. Information and qualification of staff

• Organizational and individual health literacy of staff
• Communication techniques
• Professional development

[Bremer et al. 2021]

HL on meso-level

Image 8. Training sessions – online conference for staff

Training sessions for staff

Image 1: Organisation structures of services and information designed by ypklyak, free-license by freepik

Image 2: Physiotherapy exercises designed by freepik, free-license by freepik

Image 3. Navigation designed by pch.vector, free-license by freepik

Image 4. Finding informations on websites designed by pch.vector, free-license by freepik

Image 5. Plan actions designed by kittyvector, free-license by freepik

Image 6. Evaluation designed by pch.vector, free-license by freepik

Image 7. Material physiotherapy exercises designed by freepik, free-license by freepik

Image 8. Material physiotherapy best postures designed by freepik, free-license by freepik

Image 9. Training sessions online conference designed by vector4stock, free-license by freepik

All icons/pictograms from PowerPoint® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2205 Build 16.0.15225.20172) 64 Bit )

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References

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• Brach, C., Keller, D., Hernandez, L. M., Baur, C., Parker, R., Dreyer, B., . . . Schillinger, D. (2012). Ten attributes of health literate health care organizations. NAM Perspectives.

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• Bremer, D., Klockmann, I., Jaß, L., Härter, M., von dem Knesebeck, O., & Lüdecke, D. (2021). Which criteria characterize a health literate health care organization? – A scoping review on organizational health literacy. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 664. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06604-z

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• Hayran, O., & Ege, S. D. (2022). How to Measure Organizational Health Literacy? IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105524

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• Murugesu, L., Heijmans, M., Fransen, M., Rademakers, J., (2018) Beter omgaan met beperkte gezondheidsvaardigheden in de curatieve zorg. Kennis, methoden en tools. Nivel, Utrecht.

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Literature