Barriers to Organizational Health Literacy at Public Health Departments in Germany

Abstract

Background: Strengthening individual health literacy and knowledge about health challenges are important preventive approaches in public health to improve health equality. Health care organizations have come into focus in this regard. They need to raise their organizational health literacy (OHL) to help users to access and navigate information and services. Objective: In Germany, public health departments (PHDs) are responsible for public and environmental health at the population level. This study breaks new ground as it is the first to investigate the OHL of these health care organizations. The study attempts to answer what barriers keep them from raising their OHL and how can these be overcome? Methods: In this explorative study, 10 guideline-oriented interviews with experts from PHDs were conducted in two states in Germany. Qualitative content analysis was used to extract the results from the experts´ statements. Key Results: Eleven barriers to raising OHL were identified. Obstacles were found in leadership and organizational culture, design and implementation of information, and in human resources. False expectations due to negative preconceptions about public service were identified as a new barrier that had not been elucidated in prior literature. The same applies to lack of cooperation on cross-sectoral topics as well as lack of accessibility. Clear communication of tasks and clear jurisdictional authority are some of the recommendations for lowering these barriers. Other examples include identifying and using synergies and involvement of target groups. Conclusions: Overcoming these obstacles could improve the OHL of German PHDs. This, in turn, could improve the health of the general population and thus contribute significantly to overall public health. Extrapolating to the whole of Germany and other countries could further strengthen research on OHL. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2021;5(3):e264–e271.] Plain Language Summary: Public health departments (PHDs) must be able to help their users access, understand, and use health information and services. This competence is called organizational health literacy (OHL). Ten experts from German PHDs were interviewed about barriers to raising OHL. This article reports the barriers identified and recommendations for lowering them, as well as three previously unknown obstacles.