Skills for Digital Health Literacy

Join us for this special Health Literacy Month webinar where we will be focusing on skill for digital health literacy in 2026.

In an ever-changing online world, it can be hard to keep track of what health claims you can trust and how to check them. So we're asking two literacy researchers what helps consumers build their skills and knowledge.

You'll learn about:

• Skills you can build to get the most out of digital health information

• Tips and tricks to help you critically think about health claims from news, AI chats and social media

• How researchers are working with consumers to build practical skills and resources

This session is open to all consumers, carers and community workers.

Please include your questions when you register for your ticket or by email to adminofficer@hcca.org.au

Meet the speakers

Saffron Howden is a PhD candidate at the News & Media Research Centre, University of Canberra, investigating media literacy as a response to misinformation among older Australians. She is also a journalist and editorial trainer with 20+ years’ experience in the Australian news media, including with The Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Community Media (Canberra Times) and AAP. She co-founded and edited the national children's newspaper, Crinkling News, and co-authored Kid reporter: the secret to breaking news. She was recently lead author on the research report, Media literacy in 60 minutes: How to help older Australians spot misinformation and find facts.

Read about Saffron's work:

• Article: Older people’s media literacy can be boosted in just 60 minutes

• Research report: Media literacy in 60 minutes: how to help older Australians spot misinformation and find facts

Dr Julie Ayre is an NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow at the Sydney Health Literacy Lab, University of Sydney. With more than 80 publications in high quality national and international journals, her research focuses on using digital technology to support health literacy initiatives in the healthcare workforce and the community. She is an associate editor for the journal Health Literacy and Communication Open, and was Scientific Advisor for Australia’s first National Health Literacy Framework, launched in September this year.  

Read about Julie's work:

• Article: ChatGPT Health promises to personalise health information. It comes with many risks

• Sydney Health Literacy Lab's page on using ChatGPT for health questions

• Research report: Can co-designed educational interventions help consumers think critically about asking ChatGPT health questions? Results from a randomised-controlled trial.