Health literacy in patient and family education – a thematic analysis

Background: Patients' and family members' opportunities for optimum management of the patient's health can be influenced by the extent to which registered nurses and other health professionals adapt health information to the individual's health literacy level.Additionally, patients and family members need satisfactory health literacy to be able to engage in shared decision-making processes.In brief, health literacy involves the individual's capacity to access, understand, appraise and use health information and services in order to promote and maintain good health.However, health professionals are relatively unfamiliar with the concept of health literacy.Many have expressed uncertainty about the meaning of the concept and an interest in the implications of health literacy for patient and family education.Few studies have focused on how health professionals reflect on the significance of health literacy in patient and family education. Objective:The objective of the study was to describe how health professionals and managers reflect on the significance of health literacy in patient and family education. Method:This was a descriptive qualitative study for which the data were obtained by means of the 'world café' engagement process.Data were collected during the regional conference for patient and family education held by the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority in December 2021.A total of 54 health professionals and managers took part, representing a range of disciplines and eight health trusts with particular responsibility for patient and family education in the specialist health service.Service user representatives also participated.We analysed the data by conducting a thematic analysis as inspired by Braun and Clarke. Results:We identified six main themes and 27 sub-themes.The main themes were: 1 The competencies of health professionals, 2 The competence and preferences of patients and family members, 3 Interaction, 4 Resources and frameworks, 5 Collaboration and cooperation, and 6 Consequences of health literacy. Conclusion:Health professionals and managers reported a need for improved skills in how to follow up health literacy needs in patient and family education.This need relates to a focus on organisational health literacy.Satisfactory resources and frameworks, and increased collaboration and cooperation can help to provide better adapted patient and family education.Greater health literacy awareness may potentially also boost patient safety. The objective of the studyThe objective of the study was to describe how health professionals and managers reflect on the significance of health literacy in patient and family education. MethodThe study has a descriptive qualitative design.