Organisational health literacy refers to the capacity of healthcare organisations to enable people to find, understand, appraise and use health information and services equitably. This scientific publication, published in Archives of Public Health, explores how organisational health literacy can be strengthened in healthcare organisations across Europe.
The study was conducted within JA PreventNCD and is based on semi-structured interviews and surveys with stakeholders from six European countries: Austria, France, Hungary, Italy, Norway and Ukraine. It examines the factors that facilitate or hinder the adoption of organisational health literacy strategies and assessments in healthcare organisations.
The findings highlight the importance of leadership commitment, staff training and integrating organisational health literacy into organisational processes. They also underline the need to involve patients and communities, communicate the added value of organisational health literacy, secure support or incentives from management and authorities, and use practical tools. Barriers identified include limited awareness, scarce resources, insufficient management support and overly complex tools or processes.
The article concludes that strengthening organisational health literacy requires coordinated organisational action rather than isolated activities. Embedding organisational health literacy into quality improvement structures and supporting staff through training and accessible tools can help create more sustainable, health literacy-responsive healthcare environments.