A systems approach to integrating health literacy training into the workplace

Purpose: This project responds to growing recognition of the role played by the health literacy environment (infrastructure, policies, processes, relationships) in supporting people’s understanding and navigation of health systems. By engaging health professionals in the use of health literacy workplace audit tools, this project aims to foster a systems approach to addressing health literacy.

Method: The health literacy knowledge and experiences of 18 health professionals working within an integrated care service were assessed pre and post participation. Participants attended an educational workshop about health literacy and related audit tools. Over six weeks, participants worked in interprofessional teams undertaking audits of communication (oral and written), service navigation, policies and procedures, and technology. During a feedback session, participants shared their findings, discussed implications and made suggestions about the audit tools. A focus group conducted one month after the conclusion of the project gathered data about the project’s impact and short term outcomes.

Results: Findings to be presented include pre and post intervention measures of change in health literacy knowledge and experiences. These data will assist in determining the impact of the interventions and efficacy of the audit tools. Feedback session and focus group data will shed light on the potential of this project to facilitate the co-construction of in-practice health literacy knowledge and skills as a result of working in interprofessional teams to conduct the audits.

Conclusions: Interprofessional teams’ use of the audit tools provided an effective way for health professionals to learn about health literacy and the health literacy environment. This experience enables the translation of learning into practice and provides the mechanism to create environments that support health literacy.

Contribution to the conceptual/practice/evidence base of health literacy: Health literacy workplace audit tools provide a mechanism to embed interprofessional ways of working and learning about health literacy.