The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the amount of health information available on the Internet and made digital information environments even more complex than they already were. People`s need for information has significantly increased. They face challenges and barriers when they try to find information relevant to them, critically reflect information, and use information to make health decisions in their everyday life. During this global and unprecedented crisis, reliable and trustworthy information is key for people to understand recommendations and know what to do to protect themselves and others. It is of utmost importance that information developers and providers supply easy-to-find, easy-to-access, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-use information. Health literacy, the ability to find, understand, appraise, and apply health information, is therefore more important than ever for people in order to navigate these information environments and use health information to inform their behaviour.

 

In response to these circumstances, the interdisciplinary COVID-HL network was established as an open science and research community to foster research in the field of health literacy, health information, and digital health. Since its launch in February 2020, more than 100 researchers from more than 50 countries joined the network, both early career and experienced researchers. Together they explore health literacy in individuals and systems to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed society, health, and information management. The recent research activities include the implementation of three global studies:  

 

• the COVID-HL university students survey
• the COVID-HL school survey
• the COVID-19 survivors survey

 

On this website we provide information about our research activities and share our results with the global community. We are always seeking for new members and you are more than welcome to join us. Just contact us.