Work

Maternity care providers' use of health literacy tools and perceptions of barriers and facilitators

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives: To explore maternity care providers' use of health literacy tools (HL-tools) and identify facilitators and barriers for implementation. Methods: = 37) completed an e-learning on HL and HL-tools, followed by questionnaires exploring implementation barriers and facilitators, perceived usefulness, and tool use (before, current use, and future intentions). Focus groups further contextualized questionnaire findings and provided in-depth insights into participants' experiences. Results: After the e-learning, participants reported using nearly all HL-tools more frequently than before and intended to use them in the future. Participants described various barriers and facilitators, both tool-related and contextual, influencing their use of HL-tools. This also confronted them with several dilemmas. First, participants wanted to offer parents understandable, concise, visually supported tools, but perceived some as overly instructive or simplistic. Second, participants aimed for tools with reliable content but were often unfamiliar with HL-tools. Time constraints and competing priorities hindered familiarization. Third, participants valued having multiple sources on the same topic because this could better fit the diverse needs of parents but hesitated to select tools for parents due to those varying needs. Lastly, several participants mentioned barriers or facilitators that influenced their own use of HL-tools and, through them, the use of HL-tools by colleagues, creating a collective implementation tension. Conclusion: While maternity care providers strive to provide reliable and understandable information, they face both tool-related and contextual barriers. Innovation: Although HL-tools support tailored communication, they remain underused in maternity care. This study identifies implementation dilemmas to inform strategies for improving uptake.

Source: PEC Innovation

DOI: 10.1016/j.pecinn.2026.100509

Authors: Evi M.E. Vlassak, Judit K.J. Keulen, Rianneke de Ritter, Elina Miteniece, Marijke J.C. Hendrix, Marianne J. Nieuwenhuijze

Institutions: Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Maastricht University, Care and Public Health Research Institute

Language: English

Topic: Health Literacy and Information Accessibility

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,790