Health Literacy in the Context of Implant Care—Perspectives of (Prospective) Implant Wearers on Individual and Organisational Factors

Constanze Hübner, Mariya Lorke, Annika Buchholz, Stefanie Frech, Laura Harzheim, Sabine Schulz, Saskia Jünger and Christiane Woopen
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Constanze Hübner: Cologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, Universitätsstraße 91, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Mariya Lorke: Cologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, Universitätsstraße 91, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Annika Buchholz: Department of Otolaryngology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Stefanie Frech: Department of Ophthalmology, Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Str. 140, 18057 Rostock, Germany
Laura Harzheim: Cologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, Universitätsstraße 91, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Sabine Schulz: Cologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, Universitätsstraße 91, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Saskia Jünger: Department of Community Health, University of Applied Health Sciences Bochum, Gesundheitscampus 6-8, 44801 Bochum, Germany
Christiane Woopen: Center for Life Ethics, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 12, 1-36

Abstract: The continuous development of medical implants offers various benefits for persons with chronic conditions but also challenges an individual’s, and the healthcare system’s, ability to deal with technical innovation. Accessing and understanding new information, navigating healthcare, and appraising the role of the implant in body perceptions and everyday life requires health literacy (HL) of those affected as well as an HL-responsive healthcare system. The interconnectedness of these aspects to ethically relevant values such as health, dependence, responsibility and self-determination reinforces the need to address HL in implant care. Following a qualitative approach, we conducted group discussions and a diary study among wearers of a cochlear, glaucoma or cardiovascular implant (or their parents). Data were analysed using the documentary method and grounded theory. The data reveal the perceptions of implant wearers regarding the implant on (1) the ability to handle technical and ambiguous information; (2) dependence and responsibility within the healthcare system; and (3) the ethical aspects of HL. Knowing more about the experiences and values of implant wearers is highly beneficial to develop HL from an ethical perspective. Respective interventions need to initially address ethically relevant values in counselling processes and implant care.

Keywords: health literacy; decision making; values; implant care; ethical aspects; health-literacy development; cochlear implants; glaucoma implants; cardiovascular implants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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