WUN Health Literacy
Collaboration
Health Literacy as a Community
Asset
This collaboration was
established at the second meeting of the Worldwide Universities Health Literacy
Network in November 2013 at University of Sydney. We came together around a shared interest in health literacy
as a collective asset that can be promoted, rather than a fixed individual
cognitive deficit that clinicians need to overcome.
Our purpose is to investigate
health literacy as a community asset. We start from the premise that literacy,
health, and health literacy are context-specific, so that what it means to be literate and what it means to be
healthy and what it means to be health literate in a particular community is
determined by its members, their culture, environmental factors including
available services and resources, their health challenges and their individual and collective
skills. Our initial project is a
literature review to learn how the “definers” or for lack of a better term, “gatekeepers” of health in community have been identified, and how they
have been or could be engaged to promote the collective health literacy of
their communities.
This section of the Center for
Health Literacy Promotion website is dedicated to documenting and organizing the work of the collaborative. It
is a central point for developing, reviewing, discussing and archiving our
documents and resources. It is and will always be under development.
Members and Contact Information
Lecturer in Global Health,
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR)
The University of Sheffield and visiting researcher
Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia
Skills, talents, expertise: health systems and policy, health leadership and management; neglected tropical diseases; mixed methods research
Skype: janet.harris5
Senior Lecturer & Course Director,
International Health Management & Leadership,
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) Iniveristy of Sheffield, England
Skills, talents, expertise:
Community based participatory research, public health, self management
of chronic conditions, qualitative evidence synthesis and realist
evaluation.
Skype: Dr Kirsty
Professor,
Medical Education & International Medicine
Sydney Medical School,
University of Sydney
Skills, talents, expertise: Medical education, primary care, developing country expertise, reproductive, maternal and child health, remote Vietnam, hospital patients Sydney
Skype: Mirjam Fransen
Academic Medical Centre,
University of Amsterdam
Department of Public Health
& Department of Cardiology
Skills, talents, expertise: Master health promotion, master public health, socioeconomic differences in health and health care, intervention mapping,
health literacy concepts and measurement, various health literacy research projects: diabetes self-management;
bowel cancer screening; preconception care
Health Consumers New South Wales,
Agency for Clinical Innovation, Clinical Excellence Commission
Skills, talents, expertise: Giving consumer perspective
Skype: Tricia Parker
Consumer
Representative
Health Consumers New South Wales
Skills, talents, expertise: Community
Palliative Care Volunteer for 18 years, Consumer Representative for South Western Sydney Local Health District for 12 years, member of various committees pertaining to
Palliative Care, End of Life Care and Advance Care Planning, offers
complimentary therapies such as guided meditation, gentle massage and reiki for
people living with a life limiting illness.
Skype: simone.pettigrew
Distinguished Research Professor
School of Psychology and Speech Pathology
Curtin University
Western Australia
Ph: +61 8 9266 7990
Research Professor, School of
Psychology & Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
Skills, talents, expertise: Consumer research, health psychology, qualitative research methods
Substantive areas: Child obesity, alcohol consumption, ageing, mental health
PhD Student
Research title: Re-conceptualising Health Systems: Ta case study of an urban informal setting in northern Nigeria and University Teacher in Health Services, Systems and Management
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR)
University of Sheffield
Skype:
sandra.smith1601
Clinical Instructor, School of
Public Health & Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
Skills, talents, expertise: Promoting
maternal health literacy, health education, health promotion, materials development
