Article
Health literacy in health professionals in the context of coronavirus epidemics or pandemics: scoping review
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Authors
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Uwe Matterne
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany
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Eva-Maria Grepmeier
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany
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Taurai Monalisa Hahne
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany
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Maja Pawellek
- University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO-Clinics), Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany
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Janina Curbach
- Medical Sociology, Department for Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany
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Julia von Sommoggy
- Medical Sociology, Department for Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany
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Karl Philipp Drewitz
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany
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Claudia Hasenpusch
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany
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Eva Maria Bitzer
- Department of Public Health and Health Education, Freiburg University of Education, Freiburg, Germany
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Christian Apfelbacher
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Magdeburg, Germany
| Published: | September 27, 2021 |
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Outline
Text
Background and status of (inter)national research: Health literacy (HL) has been identified as an increasingly important public health goal. There is also a growing body of research on health-professionals’ (HP) awareness, understanding, perceptions or knowledge of low HL in patients. Little is known about individual HL in HPs during situations which require adaptation to new clinical routines, such as pandemics or epidemics.
Question and objective: This scoping review aimed at describing the extent of existing research on HL in the context of the current and previous coronavirus epi – or pandemics (SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-1) (CovEpiPandemics) in HPs.
Method or hypothesis: Searches in two major databases on any type of research on the functional, critical and communicative domains of HL in the context of CovEpiPandemics yielded 9005 hits leading to 77 eligible studies. Data about where and when the study was conducted, the design and method used, and how HL was measured was extracted, tabulated and narratively reported.
Results: While one study explicitly investigated HL and one a health-behaviour-model, most studies were not theory-guided and provided little or no evidence about the used instruments’ psychometric properties. We found no studies designed to develop or psychometrically evaluate CovEpiPandemics-HL instruments, or examine CovEpiPandemics or general HL in relation to a CovEpiPandemics outcome. No controlled interventions, or studies conducted among nursing or residential home staff were found. Assessment of HL-domains and facets varied widely and was mainly non-standardised. Most commonly assessed HL-facets were knowledge, attitudes and communicative HL.
Discussion: Despite the substantial number of studies measuring HL-facets in HPs during CovEpiPandemics, future studies need to apply and advance theory-guided applications of HL in this context.
Practical implications: HPs are considered facilitators of healthcare users’ levels of HL [1]. Effective communication between HPs and healthcare users [2] informed by HP’s own HL may help increase individual HL in pandemics [3]. High levels of HPs’ HL may foster this process but as outlined above more research is needed.
Appeal for practice (science and/or care) in one sentence: Measurement models of pandemic-related HL that are applicable to HPs, prediction of pandemic outcomes by HL, intervention studies to improve pandemic-related HL in HPs and the role of HPs in shaping healthcare users’ HL are promising avenues for future research.
References
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- Damian AJ, Gallo JJ. Promoting health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a call to action for healthcare professionals. HKS Misinfo Review. 2020. DOI: 10.37016/mr-2020-027
