Workshop: Health Literacy in the workplace: from health literate organizations to resilient individuals
Authors:   Organised by: EUPHA (HP) Chair persons: Luís Saboga-Nunes - EUPHA (HP), Carine Simar - France
Published: November 2019

This workshop aim is to explore the call that is proposed by the WHO declarations of Nairobi and Shangai, that institutions should move forward to become health literate organizations.

This workshop addresses qualitative and quantitative health literacy research work settings of health and non-health professionals. Health literacy has evolved into a significant public health and health promotion goal which is especially influenced by the social and cultural background, the availability of resources, and the settings in which it is practised. Basically, health literacy can be defined as the knowledge and skills to access, understand, appraise and apply health information in order to promote health and well-being. For a long period most research had focused on adult patients in clinical settings, but in the recent past there have been significant efforts from research, practice, and policy towards citizens in other organizational settings, which is due to findings stating that effective health literacy promotion begins and continues across all settings in a whole society approach since health is mostly shaped outside the health care setting. Such approaches can also be influential when addressing the reduction of health inequalities.

The main objective of this workshop is to present first time empirical findings and developments from ongoing research projects of the Health Literacy in workplace (ProLiSa). Thereby, it will shed light on the health literacy of professionals, and link the current debate with contemporary public health approaches to advance the field of health literacy. The workshop will include 5 presentations with up to 15 minutes input followed by discussions. The first presentation is a tentative to understand health literacy and ehealth tools to improve quality of life. From Brazil a second presentation will consider health care organizations (hospitals) and the perspective to move to health literate organizations. From Portugal a third presentation will consider migration and integration and the case of health literacy as a foundation to promote cultural sensitiveness in the organizational setting. A forth presentation will consider how communicating with migrants can be a challenge and how children’s health literacy, digital technology can become and critical help. Finally the last presentation considers the role of health literacy and physical activity as buffers to counter act work related stress.

This workshop offers a forum for researchers, practitioners and policy-makers interested in health literacy. By dialogue and two-way communication lively interaction and vivid discussions will be facilitated. This will allow discussing results with regard to their benefit for improving health literacy research, practice, and policy-making, support further synergies, break down barriers between research infrastructures, facilitate networking and collaboration, and support international capacity building.

Key messages

There is need for empirical health literacy research in work settings. It will allow informing sustainable and effective interventions and the development and application of better tools. Addressing the social environment will have impact on public health research & practice, will facilitate the development of health literate organizations, new concepts/strategies for health promotion.