Maternity care providers' use of health literacy tools and perceptions of barriers and facilitators
- 1Research Centre for Midwifery Science, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Corresponding author at: Universiteitssingel 60, 6229 ER Maastricht, the Netherlands.
- 2Research Centre for Midwifery Science, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- 3Research Centre for Midwifery Science, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Abstract
Objectives: To explore maternity care providers' use of health literacy tools (HL-tools) and identify facilitators and barriers for implementation. Methods: Maternity care providers ( n = 37) completed an e-learning on HL and HL-tools, followed by questionnaires exploring implementation barriers and facilitators, perceived usefulness, and tool use (before, current use, and future intentions). Focus groups further contextualized questionnaire findings and provided in-depth insights into participants' experiences. Results: After the e-learning, participants reported using nearly all HL-tools more frequently than before and intended to use them in the future. Participants described various barriers and facilitators, both tool-related and contextual, influencing their use of HL-tools. This also confronted them with several dilemmas. First, participants wanted to offer parents understandable, concise, visually supported tools, but perceived some as overly instructive or simplistic. Second, participants aimed for tools with reliable content but were often unfamiliar with HL-tools. Time constraints and competing priorities hindered familiarization. Third, participants valued having multiple sources on the same topic because this could better fit the diverse needs of parents but hesitated to select tools for parents due to those varying needs. Lastly, several participants mentioned barriers or facilitators that influenced their own use of HL-tools and, through them, the use of HL-tools by colleagues, creating a collective implementation tension. Conclusion: While maternity care providers strive to provide reliable and understandable information, they face both tool-related and contextual barriers. Innovation: Although HL-tools support tailored communication, they remain underused in maternity care. This study identifies implementation dilemmas to inform strategies for improving uptake.
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BibTeX
@article{vlassak2026maternity,
title = {{Maternity care providers' use of health literacy tools and perceptions of barriers and facilitators}},
author = {Evi M.E. Vlassak and Judit K.J. Keulen and Rianneke de Ritter and Elina Miteniece and Marijke J.C. Hendrix and Marianne J. Nieuwenhuijze},
journal = {PEC Innovation},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.pecinn.2026.100509},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2026.100509},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Maternity care providers' use of health literacy tools and perceptions of barriers and facilitators
AU - Evi M.E. Vlassak
AU - Judit K.J. Keulen
AU - Rianneke de Ritter
AU - Elina Miteniece
AU - Marijke J.C. Hendrix
AU - Marianne J. Nieuwenhuijze
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - PEC Innovation
DO - 10.1016/j.pecinn.2026.100509
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2026.100509
AB - Objectives: To explore maternity care providers' use of health literacy tools (HL-tools) and identify facilitators and barriers for implementation. Methods: Maternity care providers ( n = 37) completed an e-learning on HL and HL-tools, followed by questionnaires exploring implementation barriers and facilitators, perceived usefulness, and tool use (before, current use, and future intentions). Focus groups further contextualized questionnaire findings and provided in-depth insights into participants' experiences. Results: After the e-learning, participants reported using nearly all HL-tools more frequently than before and intended to use them in the future. Participants described various barriers and facilitators, both tool-related and contextual, influencing their use of HL-tools. This also confronted them with several dilemmas. First, participants wanted to offer parents understandable, concise, visually supported tools, but perceived some as overly instructive or simplistic. Second, participants aimed for tools with reliable content but were often unfamiliar with HL-tools. Time constraints and competing priorities hindered familiarization. Third, participants valued having multiple sources on the same topic because this could better fit the diverse needs of parents but hesitated to select tools for parents due to those varying needs. Lastly, several participants mentioned barriers or facilitators that influenced their own use of HL-tools and, through them, the use of HL-tools by colleagues, creating a collective implementation tension. Conclusion: While maternity care providers strive to provide reliable and understandable information, they face both tool-related and contextual barriers. Innovation: Although HL-tools support tailored communication, they remain underused in maternity care. This study identifies implementation dilemmas to inform strategies for improving uptake.
SN - 2772-6282
ER -