Home Hospital and Health Education: Legal documentation analysis pre COVID

Abstract

Introduction: Hospital from home (HH) is a valid and stable alternative to the conventional hospital admission. Although it has been used since early XX century only recently was implemented in Portugal, on the public sector. Health literacy is a sine qua non condition to exercise of citizenship and informed consenting. Method: document analysis based on a review process of public legal documents from the last 5 years related with the implementation of HH and the development and role that health literacy plays on the process on HH. A discourse analysis was undertaken after documents gathering. Results: a total of 27 documents were recovered from the Portuguese public legal database (Diário da República Portuguesa). From those, a total of 3 versed HH. Discourse analysis presented the lack of emphasis on health literacy on the documents and, thus, on the legal fundamentals of implementation of HH units. Conclusions: Health literacy is a key element to included individuals on their health seeking behaviors and to manage their own health balance. Thus, to accept a different kind of hospital admission (when conditions are met) individuals should be provided with fundamental tools to overcome and develop their health literacy and to have an informed decision and consenting. Health literacy and health education are the core of HH units and, therefore, should be present on the discourse that establishes the units implementation on a legal basis.