Health Professionals' Experience with the First Implementation of the Organizational Health Literacy Self-Assessment Tool for Primary Care (OHL Self-AsseT)-A Qualitative Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Organizational health literacy (OHL) is crucial for public health, in turn health care organizations play vital roles in improving populations' health literacy. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was to explore how the organizational health literacy self-assessment tool (OHL Self-AsseT) was implemented, used, and understood by primary care teams from a network of general practices and a Home Care Service Organization in Zurich, Switzerland. Reflexive thematic analysis with a constructivist orientation was used to analyze data from 19 interviews pre- and post-OHL Self-AsseT use. Normalization Process Theory supported structuring of inductively developed themes. Findings show that the participants experienced working with the OHL Self-AsseT meaningful, as it helped with "Addressing OHL construction sites" so that they could "build momentum for change". The experience of "Succeeding together in construction" led to a "feeling of team-efficacy during change". Practical use of the tool and/or discussions about OHL led to a growing conceptual understanding, which was described as "Using a construction plan-making sense of ongoing OHL activities". To conclude, the OHL Self-AsseT encouraged teams to initiate change, led to greater team-efficacy and supported the construction of OHL. Improved implementation strategies will support this intervention's scale-up as a base for effectiveness testing.

Information seeking behavior and perceived health literacy of family caregivers of persons living with a chronic condition. The case of spinal cord injury in Switzerland.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the information seeking behavior and health literacy of caregivers of individuals living with spinal cord injury in Switzerland and their impact on the caregiving experience. METHODS: Nationwide survey of family caregivers of people with spinal cord injury (N = 717). Caregivers aged 18+ who assisted with activities of daily living were included. Self-reported information seeking behavior, including topics, preferred sources, and health literacy were assessed and analyzed. RESULTS: Health professionals were the most trusted source of information. Among information-seekers, higher health literacy levels were shown to be associated with lower subjective caregiver burden and, in turn, with higher caregivers' satisfaction with own health. CONCLUSION: Caregivers use information on different topics and coming from different sources. In order for information to improve the caregiving experience, however, caregivers need health literacy skills to make sense of it. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Building health literacy is a promising approach to support caregivers in their activities, reduce their subjective burden, and even to improve their health. Interventions should consider involving health professionals, as the most trusted source of information, and address both health-related and more practical issues.