Health Literate Hospital: A Qualitative Exploration of Care Providers’ and Care Costumers’ Perspectives

Background and Objectives: By considering hospitals as the workplaces where health literacy problems are most frequent and extreme, exploring the health literate health care organizations’ attributes in hospital context seems inevitable. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative research method for identifying dimensions and characteristics of a Health Literate Hospital (HLH) as well as defining it.Materials and Methods: Exploratory content-analysis, open-ended and face-to-face interviews were used to elicit participants’ perspectives. Considering maximum variety, ۲۳ care providers and ۲۵ care recipients in Tehran participated in interviews. According to Granheim and Landman's method using MAXQDA-۱۰ software beside manual analysis, researchers coded transcripts and collating these codes into sub-categories and then merging them into main categories and explored dimensions of the concept.Results: Analysis of qualitative data from ۴۸ participants led to identification of ۹۷ codes, ۲۴ sub-categories and finally ۱۲ categories including; ۱) facilitating access to information and services, ۲) health prevention and education strategy, ۳) health literacy-oriented planning, ۴) provide diverse and innovative understandable media, ۵) safety-based management, ۶) community partnership-based service, ۷) workforce health literacy-oriented training, ۸) interpersonal communication, ۹) health literacy leadership, ۱۰) clear information on costs and insurances, ۱۱) health service coordinate with the level of individuals’ literacy, and ۱۲) respecting clients. Conclusion: Finding of this study conceptualized a Health Literate Hospital (HLH) as a multi-dimensional framework encompassing twelve attributes with health literacy approach. It is hoped that findings can be useful to guide the future researches and interventions as well as to provide the clear base for planning, implementing, and evaluating interventions aimed at promoting health outcomes. These findings can inform clinical policymakers and managers in designing policies, strategic planning, and staff training programs to strengthen the institutionalization of health literacy practices in settings like hospitals.

کلیدواژه ها:

Health Literacy ، Health Literate Health Care Organizations (HLHOs) ، Health Literate Hospital