Questionnaires and tools

Here is an overview of the tools that have been developed, adapted, validated or applied by REACH for use in health literacy research and practice.

The tools are available in Danish or currently being translated.

Questionnaires to measure individual health literacy

These questionnaires are used to assess health literacy among persons in different contexts or at population level.

Purpose: To assess health literacy across nine domains.
Content: 44 items (4–6 per domain).
Application: Used in research and practice to understand differences in health literacy; a license from the original authors is required.
Status in Denmark: Translated and validated 2013–2014.

Registering- og licensansøgning:

Purpose: To assess digital health literacy across seven domains.
Content: 35 items
Application: Used to assess digital health literacy; the scales can be used individually; requires a license.
Status in Denmark: Translated and validated.

Purpose: To assess health literacy.
Content: 47 items (full version) and 16 items (short version)
Application: Assesses access to, understanding of, appraisal of and use of health information across treatment, prevention and health promotion.
Status in Denmark: Translated and tested.

These tools are used to assess and evaluate organizations’ ability to respond to people’s health literacy challenges and needs.

Purpose: To evaluate and develop organizational health literacy through a co-creation process.
Content: Three workshops (approximately 10 hours).
Application: Creates a local action plan.
Status in Denmark: Danish guide available; a revised version will be published in autumn 2025.

Purpose: To develop practice‑oriented interventions to strengthen health literacy.
Content: Three phases: 1) needs analysis, 2) co‑creation, and 3) implementation and evaluation.
Application: Uses the HLQ as its foundation.
Status in Denmark: Tested e.g. in the project ‘Heart Skills’

These tools are used to uncover and discuss health literacy in interactions e.g. the dialogue between health care providers and users.

Purpose: To support health professionals in uncovering people’s strengths and limitations related to health literacy.
Content: 10 open questions across five domains.
Application: Used before or during an individual consultation.
Status in Denmark: Translated and feasibility tested 2017.

Purpose: To describe a person’s self-perceived health literacy in relation to a specific service or care program in the health care system.
Content: 10 questions across four themes.
Application: Used before or at the start of a course or at transitions.
Status in Denmark: Under development and testing – not yet available for use.

Revised 22.10.2025