Masterclass - Codesign, Health Literacy and Equity for Systems and Service Improvement

The Optimising Health Literacy and Access process, known as the Ophelia process, is an evidence-based method, currently used across 30+ countries, to co-design context specific health interventions. Documented in the WHO Report on Health Literacy Development for Non Communicable Diseases, and classified as a WHO Global Public Health Good publication, the Masterclass focusses on the essential elements of The Ophelia process to support meaningful engagement.

“The Ophelia process uses meaningful engagement to understand and build on local knowledge and wisdom, and international evidence, to co-design, develop and implement health literacy actions that are accessible, sustainable and useful for the people who need them.”

Distinguished Professor Richard Osborne,

La Trobe University

The Ophelia process is a co-design approach used frequently in health literacy development.

It generally uses multidimensional health literacy or digital health literacy questionnaires to specifically investigate the diverse health literacy strengths, needs and preferences of individuals and groups. In this way, the process uncovers who is being left behind and why services are not effective for them and provides information about what to do next.

Who should attend?

This 2 day masterclass is for people working in the health or social services sectors and/or who are community members and consumers wanting to make positive change in the health outcomes.

Open to anyone interested in learning how to implement a transformation in health outcomes by co-designing health interventions using evidence-based methods, tools and process. This includes clinicians, health professionals, community health practitioners, public servants and policy makers, researchers, local government, and workers in social services, including housing, employment, sport, and for various marginalised cohorts including but not limited to refugee, women, indigenous and multicultural.

What is covered?

•  Health literacy measurement, including the HLQ data in the ABS National Survey, and qualitative approaches.

•  Effective interventions for equitable implementation, sustainability, and scale-up, including among those who may experience marginalisation and stigma.

• Social determinants of health, including health literacy, as influencers of health equity.

• How health literacy development creates enabling environments to lead to improved health access and equity.

• Tools and processes to identify diverse health literacy strengths and challenges, including participatory and strengths-based approaches for organisations and communities in different contexts.

• Overview of international health literacy policy and practice.

Who is delivering the Masterclass?

Distinguished Professor Richard Osborne and the team at La Trobe University’s Global Health and Equity Development Hub have led the development of new ways to measure health literacy and the development and implementation of health literacy interventions globally. This includes the widely applied Ophelia (Optimising Health Literacy and Access) process to strengthen health systems through co-design. He developed the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), and eHealth Literacy Questionnaire (eHLQ) which are used in more than 800 studies in over 60 countries, including in the ABS Australian National Health Survey. Richard has practical experience in a wide range of health sectors including community, hospital and health policy settings. He is an advisor to the WHO and has delivered health literacy capacity building in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Need more information?

Email - Andrea Oliver a.oliver@latrobe.edu.au

Registration Costs

2 days - $1000 inclusive of GST

Note:
Room location and parking details will be provided closer to the event date in February 2026.