With the rapid digitalization in healthcare, digital health literacy is becoming increasingly important. Current discussions surrounding digital health literacy predominantly focus on what happens online. However, the extent and manner in which individuals engage with digital health services are significantly shaped by their social context. This encompasses social norms and expectations that govern interpersonal interactions.
For instance, the choice of health apps among young people is greatly influenced by their peer groups and the educational approaches adopted by schools regarding technology usage.
Individuals with intellectual disability face significant barriers in accessing digital health services due to the persistent digital divide, necessitating targeted support and interventions to ensure equitable access to these critical resources.
The aim of the webinar is to explore and discuss how and to what extent online and offline elements can be effectively considered together to promote digital health literacy.
Zoom link: tba
Programme schedule:
- Welcome and program overview | Prof. Dr. Latteck & Dr. Bruland (Ger)
- Digitalization of the healthcare system in Germany | Dr. Kamil J. Wrona (Ger)
- Introduction to Digital Health Literacy | Prof. Dr. Diane Levin-Zamir (Isr)
- Digital Health Literacy of health professionals and caregivers working with people with intellectual disabilities | Rachel Skoss (Aus) & Dr. Dirk Bruland (Ger)
- Social Context and DHL | Prof. Susie Sykes (GB)
- Discussion about the offline in digital health literacy | Dr. Bruland (Ger)
- Outlook and Goodbye
Supported by:
- Working group digital health promotion and prevention of the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention (DGSMP)
- Interest group “Health Literacy of People with Intellectual Disability and Cognitive Impairment” of the International Health Literacy Association (IHLA)
Professor Levin-Zamir is Director of the National Department of Health Education and Promotion of Clalit, Israel’s largest health service organization, and Professor of Health Promotion in the School of Public Health in University of Haifa. Diane specializes in action research in health promotion in community primary care, hospital and media settings, in media health literacy, measuring health literacy, and was the principal investigator of the Israel National Health Literacy Survey and is Research Co-Chair for the WHO Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational health Literacy (M-POHL).
Dr. Kamil J. Wrona is chair of the working group Digital Health Promotion and Prevention of the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention. Currently, he is working as a senior researcher and lecturer at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Bielefeld University. He has always focused on population and health sociology, particularly the sociostructural conditions of health and disease, as well as on ePublic Health topics. During his time at HSBI, he conducted research on (digitally supported) prevention and health promotion, (digital) health literacy, population health and community health, as well as the use of serious games and gamification to promote health behavior and health knowledge.
Dr. Rachel Skoss is a senior research fellow at The Kids Research Institute Australia and Health Program Consultant at Microboards Australia. Rachel’s research focus is on health literacy of people with intellectual disability, their families and supporters. Her research regarding how people with intellectual disability are supported with their health has now led to the project with Microboards Australia, developing a health planning program for people with complex needs. Rachel’s work is informed by strong stakeholder engagement in the disability and health sectors, together with lived experience of parenting a young person with intellectual disability.
Dr. Dirk Bruland is a senior researcher at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences since 2018. His research focus is on promoting health and self-management of people with intellectual disabilities. He currently has two research projects: 1) Development of a framework to promote digital health literacy for people with intellectual disabilities 2) A series of workshops to discuss effective promoting of digital health literacy among people in disadvantaged situations.
Professor Susie Sykes is Professor of Public Health and Health Promotion at London South Bank University where she is the Director of the University’s Health and Wellbeing Research Centre. Her research interests focus on critical health literacy, community focused public health, intervention evaluation and workforce development. She leads PHIRST South Bank, a UK based public health intervention evaluation Centre. She is Vice Chair of the International Union of Health promotion and Education Global Working Group for Health Literacy.
