Rigorous research, informed decisions and better health for diverse communities

We are a research group at the University of Sydney School of Public Health. Our mission is to give all people the opportunity to have the best health outcomes for themselves and their families. This means building health literacy skills and capacities in the population and ensuring the healthcare environment is sensitive to the needs of the whole community. Our goal is to support empowered patients and consumers to make better health decisions and achieve better health outcomes for all.

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Our research seeks to

Understand

Understand the diverse needs of the community.

Develop & Test

Develop and test new knowledge or solutions to address those needs.

Implement

Implement these effectively in the community and health system.

View Our Current projects

We believe in collaboration

The Sydney Health Literacy Lab is located within the Sydney School of Public Health (University of Sydney) and the Westmead Health Literacy Hub. This ensures our work is conducted to the highest academic standards yet is firmly embedded within the community at Western Sydney – engaged with a network of clinical practices and community groups. We work in the areas of cancer, primary care, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, endocrinology, women’s health, and maternal health.

Meet the team

Recent publications

Promoting or undermining quality decision making? A qualitative content analysis of patient decision aids comparing surgical and medication abortion – Rachel Thompson et al

To understand, describe, and compare the content of patient decision aids on surgical and medication abortion, including 1) attributes used to describe each method, 2) approaches to clarify patients' values, 3) language used to describe each method, and 4) language used to frame women's decision-making role. We analysed 49 decision aids identified [...]

Training physicians to use an encounter decision aid in routine gynecology: Impact on knowledge, attitudes and intentions – Rachel Thompson et al

Rationale, aims and objectives: Efforts to improve shared decision-making through the implementation of decision aids are unlikely to be successful without accompanying training for the health professionals that care for patients. This study aimed to evaluate the immediate impact of training gynecologists and residents to use [...]

Recent publications

Promoting or undermining quality decision making? A qualitative content analysis of patient decision aids comparing surgical and medication abortion – Rachel Thompson et al

To understand, describe, and compare the content of patient decision aids on surgical and medication abortion, including 1) attributes used to describe each method, 2) approaches to clarify patients' values, 3) language used to describe each method, and 4) language used to frame women's decision-making role. We analysed 49 decision aids identified [...]

News & Events

Health Literacy in Western Sydney – a closer look at the ABS 2018 survey

Hilary Cox2019-10-17T15:44:50+11:00October 17th, 2019|

Tuesday 5 November 2019, 2:00-3:00pm, Lecture Theatre 1, WECC level 2, Westmead Hospital Free and open to all with online registration essential. The second national survey of health literacy in Australia [...]

Watch the Plenary talks, New Frontiers in Health Literacy Research Symposium, 4 December 2018

shlladmin2019-05-16T13:12:49+11:00May 15th, 2019|

Professor Michael Paasche-Orlow (Boston University), Innovations in health literacy research. Professor Jo Protheroe (Keele University), Health literacy research in the UK. [...]

News & Events

Health Literacy in Western Sydney – a closer look at the ABS 2018 survey

Hilary Cox2019-10-17T15:44:50+11:00October 17th, 2019|

Tuesday 5 November 2019, 2:00-3:00pm, Lecture Theatre 1, WECC level 2, Westmead Hospital Free and open to all with online registration essential. The second national survey of health literacy in Australia [...]