
New tool maps previously uncharted global health and digital literacy data
The IDEAHL consortium has released the Global Atlas of Literacies for Health (GALH), which maps European health and digital health literacy, in an important step towards informing health policy and practice across the region.
The Global Atlas of Literacies for Health (GALH) is an online visualisation tool for teaching, research, practice and policy making in health care.
The Global Atlas of Literacies for Health is a resource that not only summarises the various literacy instruments but presents the empirical evidence for how the tools have been used or evaluated and best practice in (digital) health literacy across Europe and beyond.
The atlas is:
- an online data visualisation tool that shows the levels of (digital) health literacy, best practice, policy, interventions and initiatives in Europe and beyond developed and managed by RMIT University based on the results of the European Union-funded IDEAHL project.
- a comprehensive resource for (digital) Health Literacy policymaking in the EU
- a tool for enhancing teaching, research, practice and policy in health care
- a resource for promoting health equity and digital empowerment in the EU and beyond
The atlas was developed to visually present the data from different (digital) health literacy scales, best practice, policy, interventions and initiatives on an interactive map. Users can filter data by population: adult, child and adolescence, health workforce, or select to present only country or region level data.
It is part of the project called Improving Digital Empowerment for Active Healthy Living (IDEAHL) that has received funding by the Horizon Europe Framework Program under GA 101057477. (See Buhl Povlsen M, Brun Thorup C, Schack Thoft D, Korsbakke Emtekær Hæsum L, Valkama K, Uitto M, et al. D1.1. Report on (d)HL WP1. IDEAHL)
The Atlas is open access, free of charge and can be accessed via your web browser. The Atlas works best on a computer or tablet. The data dictionary describes the data elements in the Atlas.

European digital Health Literacy Strategy
The IDEAHL Consortium is happy to present the European digital Health Literacy Strategy, developed as part of the “Improving Digital Empowerment for Active Healthy Living” (IDEAHL) project. This strategy, funded under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, aims to enhance people’s ability to use digital technologies for better health and well-being.
The strategy is the result of collaboration among various organizations and experts who share a common goal: empowering individuals to access, understand, and apply health information obtained from digital sources. With this strategy, we want to ensure that everyone has the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital landscape effectively and make informed decisions about their health.
At its core, the strategy focuses on key areas such as training and skills development, content and curriculum, evaluation and monitoring, policy and strategy, access to information, understanding the information, critical appraisal of the information, and application of the information. These elements form the foundation of digital health literacy and are crucial for individuals to become confident and informed users of digital health resources.