Advances in Health Literacy in Healthcare Communication
A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2026 | Viewed by 647
Editors
Interests: medical education; communication skills; health literacy; cultural competence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: medical anthropology and bioethics; diversity and health literacy; cultural and ethical competence; social studies of science and medicine; medical education and interdisciplinary approaches
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Health literacy plays a critical role in shaping health outcomes, patient engagement, ethical healthcare approaches, and the effectiveness of healthcare communication. As medical knowledge/practices advance and health systems grow increasingly complex, the ability of individuals to access, understand, and use health information has become a cornerstone of informed decision-making and effective care delivery. Research in this area is essential in developing communication strategies, tools, ethical frameworks, and policies that support equitable care and empower patients in making decisions.
This Special Issue will bring together work exploring the challenges that emerge in incorporating health literacy ethically and effectively in healthcare communication, discussing existing gaps and proposing interventions to support and enhance patient care and cultural–ethical competences.
For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Possible research topics include (but are not limited to) the following areas of intersection between health literacy and healthcare communication: the use of technology, including artificial intelligence, cultural and ethical implications or competencies in health professionals, ethical practices and interactions in consultations, and training interventions in healthcare education.
Research methodologies may include (but are not limited to) qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies, ethnography, and participatory action research, as well as focused review studies (we will consider narrative, scoping, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses).
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Panayiota Andreou
Dr. Eirini Kampriani
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- health literacy
- digital technology
- patient-centred care
- healthcare communication
- patient diversity
- ethical practices
- cultural competence
- patient empowerment
- health promotion
- medical education
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