Building Expertise in the Development of a Co-Produced Quality Improvement Health Literacy Initiative in the Acute Care Setting

The role of the healthcare consumer is extending beyond that of a passive recipient of care to an active participant. This participation is described in the literature in a number of ways, including patient engagement, patient involvement and patient-and family-centredness. Nevertheless, patients may not be able or willing to be involved in the provision of their care as limited health literacy may hamper their participation.

The foundation for my fellowship is based on acquiring the skills needed to build capacity in acute care to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients. I will accomplish this by learning about the use of quality improvement methodology and co-production theory to implement person-centred health literacy strategies. During my fellowship I will explore the methods that bring together the principles of co-production and the practicalities of this approach in the acute care sector.