31 July 2024

The Global Atlas of Literacies for Health (GALH)

Keywords: Digital Health, Digital Health Data, Digital Health Literacy, Health Literacy, Healthcare, Public Health

Marta Pisano González

Owner

IDEAHL consortium with RMIT University

Link

Type

Digital solution and service (e.g. application/digital health portal/platform/AI based system/etc.)

Short description

The Global Atlas of Literacies for Health is a resource that not only summarises the various literacy instruments but presents the empirical evidence for how the tools have been used or evaluated and best practice in (digital) health literacy across Europe and beyond.

The atlas is:

an online data visualisation tool that shows the levels of (digital) health literacy, best practice, policy, interventions and initiatives in Europe and beyond developed and managed by RMIT University based on the results of the European Union-funded IDEAHL project.
a comprehensive resource for (digital) Health Literacy policymaking in the EU
a tool for enhancing teaching, research, practice and policy in health care
a resource for promoting health equity and digital empowerment in the EU and beyond
The atlas was developed to visually present the data from different (digital) health literacy scales, best practice, policy, interventions and initiatives on an interactive map. Users can filter data by population: adult, child and adolescence, health workforce, or select to present only country or region level data.

It is part of the project called Improving Digital Empowerment for Active Healthy Living (IDEAHL) that has received funding by the Horizon Europe Framework Program under GA 101057477. (See Buhl Povlsen M, Brun Thorup C, Schack Thoft D, Korsbakke Emtekær Hæsum L, Valkama K, Uitto M, et al. D1.1. Report on (d)HL WP1. IDEAHL)

The Atlas is open access, free of charge and can be accessed via your web browser. The Atlas works best on a computer or tablet. The data dictionary describes the data elements in the Atlas.

Evidence

No impact-related evidence is currently available

Maturity

There is evidence for economic viability and/or of benefits to the target group of the practice. Further research/development is needed for routine use.

The atlas was developed to visually present the data from different (digital) health literacy scales, best practice, policy, interventions and initiatives on an interactive map. Users can filter data by population: adult, child and adolescence, health workforce, or select to present only country or region level data. It is part of the project called Improving Digital Empowerment for Active Healthy Living (IDEAHL) that has received funding by the Horizon Europe Framework Program under GA 101057477. (See Buhl Povlsen M, Brun Thorup C, Schack Thoft D, Korsbakke Emtekær Hæsum L, Valkama K, Uitto M, et al. D1.1. Report on (d)HL WP1. IDEAHL) The Atlas is open access, free of charge and can be accessed via your web browser. The Atlas works best on a computer or tablet. The data dictionary describes the data elements in the Atlas.

Countries

Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Other (please specify in free text box below)

Australia

Geographical scope

International

Language(s)

English

Comment

Not apllicable

Submitted in other database or repository of digital health resources that is publicly available

Additional information

Relations

to clinicians / care practitioners

Regional/national/local Integrated Care Record systems
Other (please define below)

The GALH can be used by educators, researchers, policy makers, practitioners, civil society and patient organisations, and citizens who have an interest in the field of (d)HL. Understanding trends in different literacy scales for a region can inform scholarly teaching needs, research and policy making, heath care patient needs and citizens. Different literacy needs can be targeted in curriculum and research development, health programs, policy and care depending on the discipline and regional needs. In the area of health, it is important to not only develop the health and digital literacy rates knowledge in general but to clearly understand the literacy rates of the different target populations that will eventually receive treatment and care and be subject of policies and interventions. Yet, there are over one hundred different literacy tools available, as shown in the Health Literacy Tool Shed (Boston University 2023, Health Literacy Tool Shed (bu.edu)). The GALH, then, is developed as tool that not only summarises the various literacy scales but presents the empirical evidence for how they have been used or evaluated in different geographical regions, best practice, interventions and initiatives so that the users can understand and evaluate.

to patients / citizens

Digital tools to support patient feedback and reporting of outcomes and experiences

Primary target patient group (age)

May be used across all patient ages

Use case and care pathway positioning

Prevention and wellness, Patient or citizen communities, self-help and mentoring, Reuse of data for research

Ready to be transferred to

Ready for transfer, but the practice has not been transferred yet.