Insights into organizational health literacy in Italian hospitals: findings from the M-POHL network project

Hospitals are recognized as settings for health promotion, serving as a process that empowers individuals to gain greater control over and improve their health. Health-literate organizations play a crucial role in health promotion by creating supportive environments that ensure equitable access to health information and services, empowering individuals to engage with, understand, evaluate, and apply health information through diverse communication channels and social resources. The International Self-Assessment Tool for Organizational Health Literacy of Hospitals (OHL-Hos) was used for the first time in Italy to evaluate the implementation of OHL principles in two local hospitals and one academic hospital. The OHL-Hos is organized into 8 standards, 21 substandards, and 155 items. The degree of fulfillment with the OHL principles was calculated for substandards and standards to assess their accomplishment within the organization, along with an overall score. In each hospital, the self-assessment was carried out by an interdisciplinary team; the team members initially conducted the assessment individually, and then a joint assessment was performed to reach a consensus. The two local hospitals presented similar results and an overall level of OHL responsiveness (41.62% and 39.15%, respectively) lower than the academic hospital (63.22%). The OHL principles were found to be only partially addressed and fulfilled. The OHL-Hos tool proved valuable in identifying the most critical areas that require targeted interventions, aimed at enhancing both the OHL of the organizations and the health of individuals as a result.