GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

The action should aim to:

• improve health literacy of citizens, of patients of all ages, as well as of healthcare professionals;
• improve health literacy of citizens on cancer prevention and provide them access to adequate and reliable health information in order to empower them to make informed decisions supporting healthy lifestyles and improving health for all citizens of all ages;
• improve health literacy of patients by providing adequate, reliable, and timely information on their diagnosis and treatment to achieve their disease understanding and active involvement in the treatment; improve health literacy in palliative care;
• improve health literacy education of health professionals:
  • raising awareness of the impact low health literacy can have on people at risk of cancer and cancer patients;
  • providing healthcare professionals with health-literacy-friendly communication techniques to support their interactions with cancer patients.

Provide access to reliable, accurate and easy-to understand information to:

• improve access to reliable, accurate cancer information in different languages, with attention to varying digital and literacy skills and accessibility;
• improve access to reliable, accurate information on the internet, to combat misinformation available online / in social media to educate and protect citizens and patients from misinformation on the Internet and social media;
• support cancer literacy in relation to emotional impact and psychosocial distress of cancer patients;
• build a ‘Virtual library’ on communication in cancer prevention and care;
• reduce medical jargon and improve education using plain language, easy-to-understand written materials, including visuals to provide more culturally and linguistically appropriate health education and enhanced web-based information.

Promote health literacy, exchange of information and best practices to:

• introduce a cancer health literacy day to raise awareness and promote its importance;
• support the generation and dissemination of evidence and good practices, including at population level;
• gather lessons learned to enhance health literacy in general, for example, through the establishment of cancer literacy projects;
• get an overview of health literacy programmes developed within healthcare systems and in the community;
• reflect on the role of health literacy in cancer prevention and care, potential gaps, and recommendations for action;
• promote collaboration and exchange of information, innovations and experience on cancer health literacy between Member States and other relevant stakeholders.

This action contributes to the implementation of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.