| Concept |
Definition |
|---|
| Global Atlas of literacies for health GALH |
It is a systematic collection of data and information that provides a visual and spatial representation of various features and aspects of a geographical area. The GALH is a tool that not only summarises the various literacy tools but presents the empirical evidence for how it has been used or evaluated in different geographical regions. |
| Health Literacy (HL) |
HL entails people’s knowledge and competences to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information to make judgments and decisions in everyday life concerning healthcare, disease prevention and health promotion (1). |
| Digital HL (dHL) |
dHL is the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic sources and apply the knowledge gained to addressing or solving a health problem (2). |
| (d)HL |
HL and dHL |
| Literacies for Health |
Literacies for Health in this Atlas refer to different types of HL such as nutritional HL, mental HL, oral HL, Physical Fitness Literacy, Medication Literacy, Environmental Health Literacy, Public Health Literacy, Reproductive Health Literacy, Genetic Literacy, Health Insurance Literacy, Occupational Health Literacy, Chronic Disease Management Literacy, among others. The literacies for health involve: Motivation, knowledge, and competencies to comprehend, evaluate, and apply information about health, thereby enabling the ability to make decisions in relation to personal care and disease prevention (Hernández Encuentra, 2021) |
| HL and/or digital HL levels |
HL and digital HL levels refer to the level of HL of individuals or groups as measured by scales (measurement tools) developed for the purpose. |
| European Union |
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. |
| Beyond EU |
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), United States of America. |
| Health Care/Health-care/Healthcare |
Health care/Health-care/Healthcare exist in health system, that consists of all organisations, people, and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore or maintain health. This includes efforts to influence determinants of health as well as more direct health-improving activities. A health system is therefore more than the pyramid of publicly owned facilities that deliver personal health services. It includes, for example, a mother caring for a sick child at home; private providers; behaviour change programmes; vector-control campaigns; health insurance organisations; occupational health and safety legislation. It includes cross-sectoral action by health staff, for example, encouraging the ministry of education to promote female education, a well-known determinant of better health (3). |
| Health Data |
Health data is any data "related to health conditions, reproductive outcomes, causes of death, and quality of life"(4) for an individual or population. Health data includes clinical metrics along with environmental, socioeconomic, and behavioural information pertinent to health and wellness. A plurality of health data is collected and used when individuals interact with health care systems. This data, collected by health care providers, typically includes a record of services received, conditions of those services, and clinical outcomes or information concerning those services (5). |
| GALH Dataset |
The GALH dataset is a collection of data related to levels, interventions, initiatives, practices and policy of (d)HL in Europe and beyond. The individual data points included are related to a specific (d)HL analysis of four different literature reviews. A dataset can contain various types of data, the GALH dataset contains numerical values and text that were extracted from the IDEAHL project literature reviews. |
| Social Innovation |
Social innovation refers to the design and implementation of new solutions that imply conceptual, process, product, or organisational change, which ultimately aim to improve the welfare and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Many initiatives undertaken by the social economy and by the civil society have proven to be innovative in dealing with socio-economic and environmental problems, while contributing to economic development. To fully tap the potential of social innovation, an enabling policy framework is needed to support public, non-profit, and private actors to co-construct and implement socially innovative solutions and thereby contribute to address socio-economic issues, build stronger territorial resilience, and better respond to future shocks (6). |
| Social Services |
Social service is a service that aims at promoting citizen’s / client's social wellbeing and ability to function and prevents, reduces, and eliminates social problems (7). |
| Best practice |
A best practice is a relevant policy or intervention implemented in a real-life setting and which has been favourably assessed in terms of adequacy (ethics and evidence) and equity as well as effectiveness and efficiency related to process and outcomes. Other criteria are important for a successful transferability of the practice such as a clear definition of the context, sustainability, cross-sectional, and participation of stakeholders (8). |
| Champions and survivors |
Champions = Professionals, services, organisations, municipalities, regions, etc. that published a peer reviewed article in a scientific journal providing evidence of success with initiatives (best practices) in relation to (d)HL ie: the initiatives showed improvement of levels of HL with pre test and post test measurement |
| Survivors = Professionals, services, organisations, municipalities, regions, etc. that were less successful with initiatives (best practices) in relation to (d)HL. |
| Initiative |
In the context of (d)HL, an initiative refers to a specific program, project, or action undertaken with the aim of promoting or advancing health literacy. It involves a deliberate effort to improve individuals' knowledge, skills, and abilities to obtain, understand, and use health information and services effectively. (d) HL initiatives can take various forms, such as educational campaigns, community-based interventions, policy development, healthcare provider training, websites, apps, or the creation of health communication materials tailored to different populations. These initiatives often aim to address health disparities, empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health, and enhance their overall health outcomes. An initiative may or may not be published in scientific peer reviewed papers and could be led by public or private entities or individuals. |
| Monitoring and evaluation tools, scales, measures, methods, and frameworks |
Monitoring and evaluation tools, methods, and frameworks in (d)HL that are validated and published in peer-reviewed journals; they measure/quantify individuals’ (d)HL (9) and organisations’ HL and (d)HL environments covering different target populations and services (e.g., the HLS-EU questionnaire, the eHL Assessment toolkit (eHLA) and the eHL Questionnaire (eHLQ), the M-POHL network action or the WHO HL Road Map). |
| Private and public initiatives and services |
Private and public initiatives and services related to (d)HL regarding testing/assessing, monitoring, training, capability building, education, consulting, development, communication, intervention, care, support, peer support, or community action. A public intervention is one that is initiated, funded, or overseen by a government or public sector entity. It is typically aimed at addressing public needs or societal issues and is funded through public resources.: A private intervention is initiated, funded, or operated by private entities, such as industry, non-profit organisations, or individual practitioners |
