Organisationale Gesundheitskompetenz und Qualitätsmanagement – Freund, Feind oder friedvolle Koexistenz? Ergebnisse eines Workshops mit Expert*innen für Qualitätsmanagement im Gesundheitswesen

The workshop, entitled “Organizational health literacy and quality management in healthcare—friend, foe, or peaceful coexistence?”, served as a forum for the discussion of the question whether and how organizational health literacy (OHL) can be linked with quality management (QM) in the healthcare sector.

In order to develop a deeper understanding of potential starting points between the concepts of OHL and QM, a focus group discussion was held as part of a workshop on the above-mentioned topic. Both QM representatives and selected OHL experts were invited. A total of 30 people took part in the workshop and discussed the intersections between OHL standards and QM in the healthcare sector in six groups of tables. The (qualitative) material of the photo documentation and notes of the group discussions were analyzed along the table groups and OHL standards.

It becomes evident that both OHL and QM aim to improve patient orientation and enhance the quality and safety of healthcare provision through better information and enlightenment. Overall, the findings provide important insights for practice and highlight the importance of strategically intertwining the two concepts for the benefit of patients and the healthcare system as a whole. The discussion reveals that both a complementary integration of OHL and QM in the overall system and a focused incorporation of individual OHL standards in quality management present promising approaches to advance organizational health literacy in healthcare. At the same time, it is emphasized that the awareness and understanding of OHL in practice need to be increased. For the successful implementation of OHL, clear frameworks, further research, adequate resources, and support from management are essential.

The outcomes of the workshop indicate that a coexistence and even a synergistic relationship between OHL and QM in healthcare are possible. The incorporation of OHL into QM systems offers an opportunity to significantly enhance patient safety and the quality of care.