Which criteria characterize a health literate health care organization? – a scoping review on organizational health literacy

Abstract

Background Organizational health literacy (OHL) aims to respond to the health literacy needs of patients by improving health information and services and making them easier to understand, access, and apply. This scoping review primarily maps criteria characterizing health literate health care organizations. Secondary outcomes are the concepts and terminologies underlying these criteria as well as instruments to measure them. Methods The review was carried out following the JBI Manual on scoping reviews. The databases CINAHL, Cochrane Library, JSTOR, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Wiley Online Library were searched in July 2020. Three researchers screened the records and extracted the data. The results were synthesized systematically and descriptively. Results The literature search resulted in 639 records. After removing duplicates, screening by title and abstract, and assessing full-texts for eligibility, the scoping review included 60 publications. Criteria for OHL were extracted and assigned to six main categories (with 25 subcategories). The most prevalent topic of organizational health literacy refers to communication with service users. Exemplary criteria regarding this main category are the education and information of service users, work on easy-to-understand written materials as well as oral exchange, and verifying understanding. The six main categories were defined as 1) communication with service users; 2) easy access & navigation; 3) integration & prioritization of OHL; 4) assessments & organizational development; 5) engagement & support of service users, and 6) information & qualification of staff. The criteria were based on various concepts and terminologies. Terminologies were categorized into four conceptual clusters: 1) health literacy in various social contexts; 2) health literate health care organization; 3) organizational behavior, and 4) communication in health care. 17 different assessment tools and instruments were identified. Only some of the toolkits and instruments were validated or tested in feasibility studies. Conclusions Organizational health literacy includes a significant number of distinct organizational criteria. The terminologies used in the OHL literature are heterogeneous based on a variety of concepts. A comprehensive, consensus-based conceptual framework on OHL is missing.

Patient Satisfaction Determinants of Inpatient Healthcare

“…OHL aims to respond to patients’ health literacy needs by improving the health information and services provided and facilitating their understanding, access and application. Brega et al [ 41 ] and Bremer et al [ 42 ] called for insufficient research in this area, and they offered the appropriate criteria for monitoring and evaluating OHL.…”

“…The authors critically pointed out that only a few measures that organisations can use to monitor their improvement efforts have been implemented in this area. Bremer et al [ 42 ] sought to facilitate research in the field of organisational health literacy by answering the question, which criteria characterise a health literate health care organisation. The OHL involves a large number of the different organisational criteria that make standardisation as well as comparability considerable.…”

Organizational Health Literacy in the Context of Employee Health: An Expert-Panel-Guided Scoping Review Protocol

“…The proposed scoping review will contribute to the current stage of research as studies on HL so far mainly focus on OHL in the context of healthcare organizations [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. According to the interplay of individual and organizational health literacy [ 8 , 31 ], the aim is to summarize the current state of research on OHL in the context of employee health and to place it in the overall context of HL to give orientation for policy makers, practitioners and researchers.…”

“…So far, OHL concepts mainly address healthcare organizations and consider patients as recipients of OHL [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. However, “placing greater emphasis on heath literacy outside of healthcare settings has the potential to impact on preventative health and reduce pressures on health systems” [ 7 ].…”

Measuring COVID-19 Related Health Literacy in Healthcare Professionals—Psychometric Evaluation of the HL-COV-HP Instrument

“…Future studies will have to verify these findings. Still, the general health literacy and thus the COVID-19 related health literacy of healthcare professionals are important dimensions of health literate healthcare organizations [47][48][49][50]. By preparing the workforce for the COVID-19 pandemic and by enhancing the health literacy skills of the staff, healthcare organizations can protect and support both the health of their employees and the safety of their patients.…”