Building health literacy responsiveness in Melbourne’s west: a systems approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mindy L. Allott ◽  
Tanya Sofra ◽  
Gail O'Donnell ◽  
Jeremy L. Hearne ◽  
Lucio Naccarella
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Ripple Effect ◽  
Regional Health ◽  
Health Literacy Responsiveness

With high health inequities among some population groups, health professionals and organisations are increasingly taking action on health literacy. This case study demonstrates how a systems approach to health literacy responsiveness created change across a region. From 2013 to 2017 the Health Literacy Development Project incorporating a training course and community of practice (the Project) targeted the health and community services system in Melbourne’s west. The Project created a ripple effect that built health literacy responsiveness at the individual and organisational level. This contributed to increased use of health literacy practices and led to systems change across the region. Creating change within the health and community services system is extremely challenging. This case study provides some evidence that a systems approach can support change in the health literacy responsiveness of a regional health and community services system over a 4-year timeframe. What is known about the topic? Health professionals and organisations are increasingly looking to use systems approaches to take action on health literacy. Health literacy responsiveness is an emerging field with limited peer-reviewed studies available. What does this paper add? This case study offers insights into how a systems approach to health literacy responsiveness can support change within a regional health and community services system. What are the implications for practitioners? A systems approach is a viable and realistic approach for public health practitioners seeking to improve health literacy responsiveness within a region by building workforce capability and embedding health literacy practices within organisations.

Embedding health literacy into health systems: a case study of a regional health service

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Vellar ◽  
Fiorina Mastroianni ◽  
Kelly Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Health District ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
Regional Health

Objective The aim of the present study was to describe how one regional health service the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District embedded health literacy principles into health systems over a 3-year period. Methods Using a case study approach, this article describes the development of key programs and the manner in which clinical incidents were used to create a health environment that allows consumers the right to equitably access quality health services and to participate in their own health care. Results The key outcomes demonstrating successful embedding of health literacy into health systems in this regional health service include the creation of a governance structure and web-based platform for developing and testing plain English consumer health information, a clearly defined process to engage with consumers, development of the health literacy ambassador training program and integrating health literacy into clinical quality improvement processes via a formal program with consumers to guide processes such as improvements to access and navigation around hospital sites. Conclusions The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has developed an evidence-based health literacy framework, guided by the core principles of universal precaution and organisational responsibility. Health literacy was also viewed as both an outcome and a process. The approach taken by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District to address poor health literacy in a coordinated way has been recognised by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care as an exemplar of a coordinated approach to embed health literacy into health systems. What is known about the topic? Poor health literacy is a significant national concern in Australia. The leadership, governance and consumer partnership culture of a health organisation can have considerable effects on an individual’s ability to access, understand and apply the health-related information and services available to them. Currently, only 40% of consumers in Australia have the health literacy skills needed to understand everyday health information to effectively access and use health services. What does this paper add? Addressing health literacy in a coordinated way has the potential to increase safety and quality of care. This paper outlines the practical and sustainable actions the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District took to partner with consumers to address health literacy and to improve the health experience and health outcomes of consumers. Embedding health literacy into public health services requires a coordinated whole-of-organisation approach; it requires the integration of leadership and governance, revision of consumer health information and revision of consumer and staff processes to effect change and support the delivery of health-literate healthcare services. What are the implications for practitioners? Embedding health literacy into health systems promotes equitable, safe and quality healthcare. Practitioners in a health-literate environment adopt consumer-centred communication and care strategies, provide information in a way that is easy to understand and follow and involve consumers and their families in decisions regarding and management of the consumer’s care.

scholarly journals Key lessons for designing health literacy professional development courses

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucio Naccarella ◽  
Bernice Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Realist Evaluation ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Design Framework ◽  
Future Health

Health literacy courses for health professionals have emerged in response to health professionals’ perceived lack of understanding of health literacy issues, and their failure to routinely adopt health literacy practices. Since 2013 in Victoria, Australia, the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health has delivered an annual health literacy demonstration training course that it developed. Course development and delivery partners included HealthWest Partnership and cohealth. The courses are designed to develop the health literacy knowledge, skills and organisational capacity of the health and community services sector in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne. This study presents key learnings from evaluation data from three health literacy courses using Wenger’s professional educational learning design framework. The framework has three educational learning architecture components (engagement, imagination and alignment) and four educational learning architecture dimensions (participation, emergent, local/global, identification). Participatory realist evaluation approaches and qualitative methods were used. The evaluations revealed that the health literacy courses are developing leadership in health literacy, building partnerships among course participants, developing health literacy workforce knowledge and skills, developing ways to use and apply health literacy resources and are serving as a catalyst for building organisational infrastructure. Although the courses were not explicitly developed or implemented using Wenger’s educational learning design pedagogic features, the course structure (i.e. facilitation role of course coordinators, providing safe learning environments, encouraging small group work amongst participants, requiring participants to conduct mini-projects and sponsor organisation buy-in) provided opportunities for engagement, imagination and alignment. Wenger’s educational learning design framework can inform the design of future key pedagogic features of health literacy courses. What is known about the topic? Health professionals are increasingly participating in health literacy professional development courses. What does this paper add? This paper provides key lessons for designing health literacy professional development courses by reflecting upon Wenger’s professional educational learning design framework. What are the implications for practitioners? To ensure health professionals are receiving evidence-informed health literacy professional education, we encourage future health literacy courses be designed, implemented and evaluated using existing professional educational learning design frameworks.

Māori Research(er) in Three Poems

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Jacquie Kidd
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Bell Hooks ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Third ◽  
Ruth Behar ◽  
Seeking Help

These three poems re-present the findings from a research project that took place in 2013 (Kidd et al. 2018, Kidd et al. 2014). The research explored what health literacy meant for Māori patients and whānau when they accessed palliative care. Through face-to-face interviews and focus groups we engaged with 81 people including patients, whānau, bereaved loved ones, support workers and health professionals. The poems are composite, written to bring some of our themes to life. The first poem is titled Aue. This is a Māori lament that aligns to English words such as ‘oh no’, or ‘arrgh’, or ‘awww’. Each stanza of the poem re-presents some of the stories we heard throughout the research. The second poem is called Tikanga. This is a Māori concept that encompasses customs, traditions and protocols. There are tikanga rituals and processes that guide all aspects of life, death, and relationships. This poem was inspired by an elderly man who explained that he would avoid seeking help from a hospice because ‘they leave tikanga at the door at those places’. His choice was to bear his pain bravely, with pride, within his cultural identity. The third poem is called ‘People Like Me’. This is an autoethnographical reflection of what I experienced as a researcher which draws on the work of scholars such as bell hooks (1984), Laurel Richardson (1997) and Ruth Behar (1996). These and many other authors encourage researchers to use frustration and anger to inform our writing; to use our tears to fuel our need to publish our research.

Building Health Literacy and Family Engagement in Head Start Communities: A Case Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhavna Sivanand ◽  
◽  
Ariella Herman ◽  
Carol Teutsch ◽  
Steven Teutsch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Head Start ◽  
Family Engagement

scholarly journals Community-based intervention to prevent the incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases in the migrant population: Pilot study in Valencia (Spain)

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Gil-Salmerón
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Migrant Population ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Life Years

Abstract Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are prevalent in the migrant population with increased years of residency in the host country. In this regard, health education and lifestyle interventions have proven to be cost-effective modifying risk factors. The Spanish pilot of the Mig-HealthCare project directly aims to reduce the prevalence of NCDs reducing the well-known “healthy migrant effect” by increasing the levels of health literacy and also turning the lifestyles of the participants into healthier habits in the host country. The Mig-HealthCare pilot in Spain is a one-month group-based Health Education and Lifestyle Intervention to prevent the incidence of non-communicable diseases in Migrant and refugee populations addressing their Acculturation Process (HELP-MAP). Consequently, the pilot intervention addressing 4 topics: health literacy, physical activity, dietary patterns and strategies for coping with stress. The implementation of the pilot will be carried out in two different community services (i) one NGO providing care and accommodation for asylum seekers and (ii) three social care units within primary health care centres. Furthermore, following the Mig-Healthcare study protocol evaluation will focus on acculturation strategies, level of health literacy, physical exercise, change in diet, use of health care access and Quality-Adjusted life-years (QALY)

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