International Cooperative Cross-Border Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme in Educational and Communication Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland, Eisenstadt, Austria.
Institute International Trade and Sustainable Economy, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria.
Front Public Health. 2023 Sep 12;11:1194892. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1194892. eCollection 2023.
The prevalence of intellectual disabilities (ID) in Austria is estimated to be approximately 1% of the population. Growing awareness of the major challenges faced by individuals with ID, including difficulties in comprehending written health information, communication barriers with healthcare professionals, and limited inclusion in health education research, necessitates concerted efforts to address these issues. The utilization of guidelines promoting easy-to-read language, web accessibility, and usability can significantly enhance access to health information and improve health literacy among people with ID. The "LUCHS-Gesundheitsinformationen (Health Information)" project aimed to improve knowledge transfer of health information for people ID by creating a website prototype.
Unstructured interviews were conducted with two focus groups ( = 20) people with ID and their caretakers to elicit relevant topics and ensure the quality, comprehensibility, and usability of a website prototype. A convenience sample of 20 adults employed in sheltered workshops of the Caritas Lower Austria West facility who met the inclusion criteria participated.
The prototype addressed four main topics, namely nutrition, medical specialization, first aid, and patient information, offering comprehensive information using easy-to-read language and pictorial content. The website prototype followed web accessibility suggestions and incorporated external resources, such as brochures and emergency contact details, to enhance usability and provide a reliable source of health information for individuals with ID.
The findings suggest that a website format is a feasible means of providing accessible online health information for people with ID. However, further research is warranted to explore the potential of digital health applications for individuals with ID, as inclusion in the Austrian register for digital health applications necessitates meeting multiple quality standards, thereby instilling trust among the target group.
据估计，奥地利的智力残疾（ID）患病率约为总人口的 1%。人们日益认识到 ID 患者面临的重大挑战，包括理解书面健康信息的困难、与医疗保健专业人员沟通的障碍以及在健康教育培训研究中的有限参与，这需要共同努力解决这些问题。利用推广易读语言、网络可及性和可用性的指南，可以显著提高 ID 患者获取健康信息的机会，并提高他们的健康素养。“LUCHS-Gesundheitsinformationen（健康信息）”项目旨在通过创建网站原型来改善 ID 患者的健康信息知识转移。
对两个有 ID 的焦点小组（=20 人）及其照顾者进行了非结构化访谈，以引出相关主题，并确保网站原型的质量、可理解性和可用性。方便选取了 20 名符合纳入标准的在 Caritas Lower Austria West 庇护工厂工作的成年人作为参与者。
原型涉及四个主要主题，即营养、医学专业、急救和患者信息，使用易读的语言和图像内容提供全面的信息。网站原型遵循网络可及性建议，并纳入了外部资源，如小册子和紧急联系信息，以提高可用性，并为 ID 患者提供可靠的健康信息来源。
研究结果表明，网站格式是为 ID 患者提供可访问的在线健康信息的可行方法。然而，需要进一步研究探索数字健康应用程序对 ID 患者的潜力，因为要列入奥地利数字健康应用程序登记册，必须符合多个质量标准，从而在目标群体中建立信任。
