As part of the Digital Health Design Living Lab, a position paper on professional health literacy in occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy has been published. It was drawn up by a working group comprising representatives from Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Whilst strategies and curricular integration are already comparatively well developed in Austria, Germany and Switzerland are still in the early stages of development. In Italy, there has so far been a lack of systematic implementation.
Overall, the paper identifies a need for action in three areas: digital health literacy, clear health communication and participatory decision-making. The authors advocate for the structured, practice-oriented integration of these topics into the training of the therapeutic professions.
Wieser, H., Tappeiner, W., Glässel, A. et al.: Perspectives on professional health literacy in occupational, physio- and speech- and language therapy across four European countries. Discover Public Health 23, 302 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-026-01653-3