New Publication: Cancer literacy – Informing patients and implementing shared decision-making

The European Cancer Organisation is pleased to announce the publication of the ‘Cancer literacy – Informing patients and implementing shared decision making'article in the Journal of Cancer Policy.

The Inequalities Focused Topic Network identified health literacy and patient education as challenging and worthy of attention and thus formed a workstream within the Network. Health literacy was considered by all members of the network to be a key tool and means for reducing inequalities across Europe and the cancer care continuum, and to help underpin promotion of an equity-informed policy agenda for cancer at the European level.

This article on health literacy in cancer focuses on cancer patients and the role of shared decision-making. Other aspects of cancer literacy, such as literacy of the general population and challenges related to inequalities are within the remit of this article. Nevertheless, we do acknowledge that there is a large variability in health literacy across individuals, and that this variability is strongly correlated with a number of factors including socioeconomic means and other social determinants.

The key topics from the article include:

• Health literacy as part of patient centred healthcare
• Cancer patients’ needs and shared decision-making
• Impact on health outcomes
• Reliable information
• Misinformation in the digital era
• Helping the patient navigate
• Recommendations for improving cancer literacy in Europe

Read the full article here.