Abstract:Background: To deliver holistic, patient-centred care, healthcare professionals (HCPs) must understand and address the diverse health literacy (HL) needs of their patients. This requires HCPs to have a strong foundation in HL themselves. Aim: To determine and compare the HL profile of current and future HCPs in Brunei Darussalam. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed HL levels using the 9-domain Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) with ad-hoc demographic questions. Future HCPs were students enrolled in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and midwifery undergraduate programs at the PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSBIHS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). Current HCPs included practising doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and midwives in hospitals and community-based clinics in government setting. Mean HL scores were compared across groups, including those with and without formal health literacy training. Statistical analyses, including Kruskal-Wallis and independent t-tests, were performed using Microsoft Excel. Ethical approval was obtained from Medical and Health Research and Ethics Committee (MHREC), Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalam. Findings: Both current and future HCPs generally agreed with statements related to HL, with current HCPs showing slightly higher overall scores. This may reflect their practical experience, continuing education, and established professional networks. Future HCPs showed strengths in finding and understanding health information, likely due to academic training. No statistically significant differences were observed across professional roles or courses, suggesting consistent HL education. Formal training significantly improved scores among current HCPs but was less impactful among future HCPs, highlighting a need for better integration of HL education in undergraduate programs. Conclusion: Formal HL training enhances current HCPs’ HL, but greater emphasis is needed in undergraduate curricula. Equipping HCPs with HL skills is key to improving patient communication and outcomes. Tailored training should be part of continuous professional development. Enhancing HL among HCPs globally is essential for reducing health disparities and strengthening health systems worldwide.
Keywords: Global Health Education and Technology, Brunei Darussalam; Health literacy; healthcare; healthcare professional; healthcare student.
