Background:

Addressing the impact of chronic disease, particularly among disadvantaged groups who carry the greatest burden of disease, remains a priority for governments. Recent advances in the measurement of health literacy may provide a mechanism for achieving more equitable health outcomes.  The aim of this study was to identify locally-relevant intervention ideas for improving health outcomes, based upon the health literacy profiles of clients attending healthcare organisations.

Methods:

Using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), health literacy and demographic data were collected from a quota sample of clients with chronic disease (n=813) attending nine Victorian metropolitan and rural healthcare organisations. Semi-structured interviews were held with randomly selected participants. Data were presented in workshops to clinicians and managers from each organisation to generate locally-relevant and feasible intervention ideas that could be implemented to address identified gaps in the health literacy profile of their clients.

Results/Discussions:

Mean age of clients was 72.1 ±14.3yr, 54.1% had 3 or more health conditions, and 48% had not completed high school.  Analysis revealed a wide range of health literacy profiles unique to each site. Workshops with clinicians and managers generated multiple intervention ideas to respond to identified health-literacy strengths and weaknesses at client, practitioner and organisational levels. These ideas were refined collaboratively using program logic models to identify interventions suitable for pilot-testing at each site. Interventions are tailored to the socio-demographic and health literacy needs of each service’s clients and include the development of navigational resources; development of organisational policies; and training clinicians to support clients with low health literacy. Pilot testing of interventions will occur in June/July 2014.

Conclusions/implications:

Interventions based on a comprehensive assessment of health literacy needs, and designed using local knowledge of practitioners are more likely to be equitable and sustainable because they specifically target the needs of the local community.