Date
June 02, 2023
As the digital transformation advances, the issue of inequalities continues to rise, exacerbated by challenges stemming from the digital divide, accessibility barriers, and low digital health literacy. There is a need for comprehensive solutions to bridge the gaps and promote equitable access to digital health resources for all.
Label2Enable is dedicated to ensuring inclusivity in the development of a quality health app label, leaving no one behind. EuroHealthNet, a partner of Label2Enable, is a non-profit European Partnership for health, equity, and wellbeing, actively engaged in “Work Package 4: patients' citizens and carers” specifically 4.3 testing the label. With a goal to guarantee the labels understandability and foster its pickup. Our work involves collaborating with groups that have more difficulties in using health apps, such as those people with limited education, lower socioeconomic status, and the older adult population, to guarantee the label's accessibility for all individuals.
In collaboration with national health authorities, the CEN-ISO/TS 82304-2 label will undergo testing in four selected countries: Denmark, Hungary, Italy, and France. The participating authorities, after receiving training tailored to their respective national contexts, will engage with low health literate groups from local communities to gain insights into how the label is perceived.
This process involves breaking down the label based on how and why the label is presented on application stores, the general user experience, and the overall comprehensibility of the visible features of the label. For example, participants are asked about different visual elements of the label such as the symbols. Take the stethoscope for instance, a universal symbol of healthcare. Participants are asked to identify elements of the label based on their knowledge being asked questions such as, “Can you tell in your own words what this means?” The findings based on this feedback will be used to produce an article, experts will explore optimal methods for effectively communicating the label to the general public. Ensuring inclusivity and leaving no one behind necessitates that the label is accessible and beneficial for individuals with low health literacy, ultimately benefiting all users.
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