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Health Literacy

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HL on macro-level

CC-BY-SA 4.0 License, except the images 1and 2

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Learning outcomes

You are able to:

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Identify the role of

    • Governance

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    • Workforce development

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    • Partnerships

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    • Organizational and institutional capacities

for interventions in HL on the macro-level

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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]

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HL on macro-level

National level

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Health care systems (Hospitals, public and private clinics, …)

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Professionals (Physiotherapists, doctors, nurses…)

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Macro level

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Meso level

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Micro level

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HL on macro-level

  • In the action of improving HL of the population, it is crucial that goverments and health providers recognise their role.

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  • There is a need for national HL policies.

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  • This includes changes in societal values and political ideologies, demographic trends and economic patterns.

[Sørensen et al. 2021]

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HL on macro-level - example

Image 2. Nutri-score

Image 1. Nutrition facts

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HL on macro-level

National level

Macro level

[Adriaenssens et al. 2022]

Political level

Inter-sectoral approaches

Health system

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HL on macro-level

Interventions to improve HL on the macro level:

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  • Governance

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  • Workforce development

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  • Partnerships

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  • Organizational and institutional capacities

[Adriaenssens et al. 2022]

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HL on macro-level

Interventions to improve HL on the macro level:

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  • Governance

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  • Workforce development

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  • Partnerships

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  • Organizational and institutional capacities
  • Embedding HL in:
    • Government legislation, policies and plans
    • Quality standards and funding mechanisms
  • Providing reliable HL information to the public:
    • Official information portals
    • Education and social marketing campaigns
    • Guidance on objective health information for the media
  • Promotion of patient’s empowerment
    • Community-based initiatives
    • Self-management, shared decision making
  • Investment in eHealth Literacy and Digital Literacy

[Adriaenssens et al. 2022]

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HL on macro-level

Interventions to improve HL on the macro level:

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  • Governance

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  • Workforce development

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  • Partnerships

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  • Organizational and institutional capacities

[Adriaenssens et al. 2022]

  • Awareness and promotion of HL
  • HL competences and skills in all healthcare professionals
  • Nationwide network for knowledge exchange
  • Tools and guidelines to adapt public health information, campaigns and projects to the needs of the targeted public

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HL on macro-level

Interventions to improve HL on the macro level:

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  • Governance

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  • Workforce development

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  • Partnerships

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  • Organizational and institutional capacities

[Adriaenssens et al. 2022]

  • Generate an interest for HL in the civil society and the associative sector.

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HL on macro-level

Interventions to improve HL on the macro level:

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  • Governance

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  • Workforce development

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  • Partnerships

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  • Organizational and institutional capacities

[Adriaenssens et al. 2022]

  • HL-friendliness into policies, procedures and quality standards for all healthcare institutions and organisations.
  • Practical toolkits for self-assessment of the level of organisational HL within healthcare settings (and in primary care).
  • Collaboration with patients’ organisations and citizens’ panels to explore ways to strengthen relationships between healthcare�institutions and users

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Image 1: Nutrician facts designed by vectorjuice, free-license by freepik

Image 2: Nutri score designed by NK_19, 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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  • Adriaenssens J, Rondia K, Van den Broucke S, Kohn L. Health literacy: What lessons can be learned from the experiences and policies of different countries? The International Journal of Health Planning and Management. 2022;37(2):886–901.

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  • Sørensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., & Brand, H. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12, 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80

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  • Sørensen, K., Levin-Zamir, D., Duong, T. V., Okan, O., Brasil, V. V., & Nutbeam, D. (2021). Building health literacy system capacity: A framework for health literate systems. Health Promotion International, 36(Supplement_1), i13–i23. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab153

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Literature