Prof. Dr. Doris Schaeffer

Studies and academic career

since 2019
Director (together with Prof. Dr. Ullrich Bauer) Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Literacy Research (ICHL)

since October 2018
Senior professor at Bielefeld University

since 2018
Head of project Health literacy of the population in Germany (study 1 and 2 with M-POHL network).

since 2016
Project management Development of a National Health Literacy Action Plan.

since 2016
Senior Fellow of the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin

2012 to 2016
Speaker of the Research Network "User-oriented care for people with chronic illness", Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research

since 2010
Member of the International Council on Women's Health Issues (ICOWHI).

2010 to 2014
Member of the Advisory Council on the Assessment of Developments in the Health Care System, Ministry of Health, Berlin

2004 to 2011
Speaker of the Research Network "Patient-oriented care for chronically ill" of the Faculty of Public Health at Bielefeld University, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

2004 to 2007
Development and management of the doctoral program at the School of Public Health at Bielefeld University

2006
Visiting Professor at the Faculty for Interdisciplinary Research and Skill Training, Vienna, Klagenfurt University, Austria

April 1997 to September 2018
Professor of Public Health, main focus Health Services Research/Nursing Science at Bielefeld University, School of Public Health

since April 1997
Director of the Institute for Nursing Science at Bielefeld University

1996 to 1997
Professor at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences, Berlin

1994 to 1995
Visiting Professor at Vienna University

1990 to 1997
Research Assistant at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), research group ''Public Health Policy"

1980 to 1990
Research Assistant at the Institute for Social Medicine, Free University Berlin

1977 to 1980
Research Assistant at the German Central Institute for Social Issues, Berlin

1976 to 1977
Research Associate at the German Centre of Gerontology e.V., Berlin

1989
PhD, doctorate (Dr. phil.) at the Free University Berlin

1971 to 1976
Studies of Sociology and Educational Sciences at the Ruhr-University Bochum and Free University Berlin

The complete list of publications can be found here.

Hämel, K., Röhnsch, G., & Schaeffer, D. (2022). Förderung von Gesundheit und Partizipation bei chronischer Krankheit und Pflegebedürftigkeit im Lebensverlauf - eine Einführung. In K. Hämel, & G. Röhnsch (Eds.), Förderung von Gesundheit und Partizipation bei chronischer Krankheit und Pflegebedürftigkeit im Lebensverlauf (1st ed., pp. 7-22). Weinheim: BeltzJuventa.

Schaeffer, D., Hurrelmann, K., & Berens, E.-M. (2022). Neue Daten zur Gesundheitskompetenz der Bevölkerung in Deutschland [New data on health literacy of the population in Germany]. Public Health Forum, 30(2), 128-130. https://doi.org/101515/pubhef-2022-002

Schaeffer, D., Gille, S., Vogt, D., & Hurrelmann, K. (2021). National Action Plan Health Literacy in Germany origin, development and structure. Journal of Public Health.

Schaeffer, D., Berens, E.-M., Klinger, J., Griese, L., & Hurrelmann, K. (2022). Bedeutung und Ausprägung navigationaler Gesundheitskompetenz in Deutschland. Das Gesundheitswesen, 84(08/09), 729-730.

Schaeffer, D., Hurrelmann, K., Bauer, U., Dierks, M.-L., Kickbusch, I., Melin, S., Orkan, O., Pelikan, J. M., Schmidt-Kaehler, S., & Sørensen, K. (2022). Deutschland braucht mehr Gesundheitskompetenz. Das Gesundheitswesen, 84, 415-418. Online: https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/pdf/101055/a-1801-6880.pdf

Berens, E.-M., Klinger, J., Carol, S., & Schaeffer, D. (2022). Differences in health literacy domains among migrants and their descendants in Germany. Front. Public Health, 10, 988782. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.988782

Finbråten, S. H., Peter Nowak, P., Griebler, R., Bíró, É., Vrdelja, M., Charafeddine, R., Griese, L., Bøggild, H., Schaeffer, D., Link, T., Kucera, Z., Mancini, J., & Pelikan, J. M. (2022). The HLS19-COM-P, a New In-strument for Measuring Communicative Health Literacy in Interaction with Physicians: Development and Validation in Nine European Countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Pub-lic Health, 19(18), 11592. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811592

Gigerenzer, G., Hurrelmann, K., Jonitz, G., & Schaeffer, D. (2022) Deutschland braucht eine Agentur für Gesundheitskommunikation. Gesundheitswesen, 84(1), 13-15. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1710-6540

Griese, L., & Schaeffer, D. (2022). Die Navigation des Gesundheitssystems erleichtern – erste Daten zur navigationalen Gesundheitskompetenz. Public Health Forum, 30(2), 135-137. https://doi.org/10.1515/pubhef-2022-0020

Griese, L., Schaeffer, D., & Berens, E-M. (2022). Navigational Health Literacy among People with Chronic Illness. Chronic Illness, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/17423953211073368

Hurrelmann, K., Klinger, J., & Schaeffer, D. (2022). Gesundheitskompetenz der Bevölkerung in Deutschland im Zeitvergleich der Jahre 2014 und 2020. Das Gesundheitswesen. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1709-1011

Klinger, J., Schaeffer, D., Berens, E.-M., & Carol, S. (2022). Digitale Gesundheitskompetenz von Menschen mit ex-sowjetischem und türkischem Migrationshintergrund in Deutschland. Das Gesundheitswesen, 84(08/09), 731

Klinger, J., Schaeffer, D., Berens, E.-M., & Carol, S. (2022). Nutzung fremdsprachiger und ausländischer Gesundheitsinformationen von Menschen mit ex-sowjetischem und türkischem Migrationshintergrund in Deutschland. Das Gesundheitswesen, 84(08/09), 730-731

Okan, O., Bollweg, T. M., Bauer,U., Hurrelmann, K., & Schaeffer, D. (2022). Coronaspezifische Gesundheitskompetenz zu drei Messzeitpunkten. Public Health Forum, 30(2), 131-134. https://doi.org/10.1515/pubhef-2022-0031

Schaeffer, D., Gille, S., Vogt, D., & Hurrelmann, K. (2021). National Action Plan Health Literacy in Germany origin, development and structure. ''Journal of Public Health.

Schaeffer, D., & Gille, S. (2021). ''Health literacy in the age of digitalization. Where do we stand? Prevention and health promotion.

Schaeffer, D., Berens, E. - M., Gille, S., Griese, L., Klinger, J., de Sombre, S., Vogt, D., et al. (2021). Health literacy of the population in Germany before and during the Corona pandemic: results of the HLS-GER 2. Bielefeld: Bielefeld University, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Literacy Research.

Berens, E. - M., Ganahl, K., Vogt, D., & Schaeffer, D. (2021). Health literacy in the domain of healthcare among older migrants in Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). Findings from a cross-sectional-survey. International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care.

Schaeffer, D., Griese, L., & Berens, E. - M. (2020). Health literacy of people with chronic disease in Germany. Health Care, 82(11), 836-843.

Schaeffer, D., Berens, E. - M., Gille, S., Hurrelmann, K., & Bauer, U. (2020). Concept and Strategy for Implementing the National Action Plan on Health Literacy in Germany. European Journal of Public Health, 30(Supplement_5).

Griese, L., Berens, E. - M., Nowak, P., Pelikan, J. M., & Schaeffer, D. (2020). Challenges in Navigating the Health Care System: Development of an Instrument Measuring Navigation Health Literacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(16), 5731.

Hurrelmann, K., Klinger, J., & Schaeffer, D. (2020). Health literacy of the population in Germany: comparison of the 2014 and 2020 surveys. Bielefeld: Bielefeld University, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Literacy Research.

Van den Broucke, S., Levin-Zamir, D., Schaeffer, D., Pettersen, K., Guttersrud, O., Finbraten, H., Telo de Arriaga, M., et al. (2020). Digital health literacy in general populations - An international comparison. 16th World Congress on Public Health 2020. public health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action, European Journal of Public Health, 30 Oxford: Oxford Univ Press.

Okan, O., Bollweg, T. M., Berens, E. - M., Hurrelmann, K., Bauer, U., & Schaeffer, D. (2020). Coronavirus-Related Health Literacy: A Cross-Sectional Study in Adults during the COVID-19 Infodemic in Germany. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(15), 5503.

Schaeffer, D., Gille, S., & Hurrelmann, K. (2020). Implementation of the National Action Plan Health Literacy in Germany - Lessons Learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4403. doi:10.3390/ijer4403.

Horn, A., Kleina, T., & Schaeffer, D. (2019). ''Success factors and barriers in the implementation of the Lübeck Model Movement Worlds in inpatient care facilities - Results of the scientific evaluation. Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Health Research, Health Protection, 62(3), 282-288.

Ewers, M., & Schaeffer, D. (2019). Interprofessional learning, teaching and working on rocky roads [Centre for teaching and learning]. In M. Ewers, E. Paradis, & D. Herinek (Eds.), Interprofessional learning, teaching, and working: Health and social professions on the road to collaborative practice (1st ed., pp. 55-69). Weinheim: Beltz Juventa.

Berens, E. - M., & Schaeffer, D. (2019). Using survey data on population health literacy for developing a National Action Plan in Germany. European Journal of Public Health, 29(Supplement 4), ckz185.235.

Vogt, D., Schaeffer, D., & Berens, E. - M. (2019). Health literacy in later phases of life. Findings from Germany and other countries. In O. Orkan, U. Bauer, D. Levin-Zamir, P. Pinheiro, & K. Sørensen (Eds.), International Handbook of Health Literacy. Research, practice and policy across the life span (pp. 153-166). Bristol: Policy Press

Schaeffer, D., Vogt, D., & Gille, S. (2019). Health literacy - Perspectives and experiences of people with chronic disease. Bielefeld: Bielefeld University.

Schaeffer, D., Hurrelmann, K., Bauer, U., Kolpatzik, K., Gille, S., & Vogt, D. (2019). The National Health Literacy Action Plan-need, goal, and content. Das Gesundheitswesen, 81 (06), 465-470.

Weishaar, H., Hurrelmann, K., Okan, O., Horn, A., & Schaeffer, D. (2019). Framing health literacy: A comparative analysis of national action plans. Health Policy, 123, 11-20.

Schaeffer, D. (2018). Right to information and advice. In ZQP - Center for Quality in Care (Ed.), Rights of people in need of care (pp. 66-69). ZQP report. Berlin: ZQP.

Schaeffer, D., & Hämel, K. (2018). Integrated care and nursing. Plea for a rethinking. In Szepan, N.-M., & Wagner, F. (Eds.), Agenda Pflege 2021. foundations for professional policy discourse. (pp. 91-108). Berlin: KomPart Verlag.

Schaeffer, D., Vogt, D., Gille, S., & Berens, E.-M. (2018). Health literacy in vulnerable populations. Monitor Versorgungsforschung, 11(06), 55-59.

Schaeffer, D., Hurrelmann, K., Bauer, U., & Kolpatzik, K. (Ed.)(2018). National health literacy action plan. Strengthening health literacy in Germany. Berlin: KomPart.

Schaeffer, D., Hurrelmann, K., Bauer, U., & Kolpatzik, K. (2018). ''Knowledge by design. Health and Society, 21(2), 21-25.

Schaeffer, D., Hurrelmann, K.,Vogt, D., & Gille, S. (2018). The National Action Plan on Health Literacy - Relevance for health services research. Monitor Versorgungsforschung, 11(4), 53-58.

Schaeffer, D., Hurrelmann, K., Bauer, U., Gille, S., & Vogt, D. (2018). The National Health Literacy Action Plan-need, goal, and content. The Health Care System. doi: 10.1055/1-0667-9414.

Kolpatzik, K., Schaeffer, D., & Vogt, D. (2018). Promoting health literacy. A task for nursing. In Szepan, N.-M., & Wagner, F. (Eds.), Agenda Pflege 2021. foundations for professional policy discourse. (pp. 73-89). Berlin: KomPart Verlag.

Kolpatzik, K., Schaeffer, D., & Vogt, D. (2018). Promoting health literacy - a nursing task. GGW, 18(2), 7-14.

Vogt, D., Berens, E.-M., & Schaeffer, D. (2018). Health literacy in older age. Das Gesundheitwesen [online first: http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/a-0667-8382 (as of 15.10.2018)].

Berens, E.-M., Ganahl, K., Vogt, D., & Schaeffer, D. (2018). Health literacy among elderly immigrants in Germany. Findings from a cross-sectional survey. The European Journal of Public Health, 18(Suppl. 1). doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cky048.245.

Vogt, D., Schmidt-Kaehler, S./Berens, E.-M., Horn, A., & Schaeffer, D. (2018). Strengthening health literacy - Development of a collection of materials and methods for nursing and consumer counseling. Care & Society, 18(1), 55-69.

Berens, E.-M., Vogt, D., Ganahl, K., Weishaar, H., Hurrelmann, K., Pelikan, J., & Schaeffer, D. (2018). Health literacy and health service use in Germany. Health Literacy Research and Pratice, 1(2), e115-e122.

Weishaar, H., Berens, E.-M., Vogt, D., Gille, S., Horn, A., Schmidt-Kaehler, S., & Schaeffer, D. (2018). Ergos have key roles-lack of health literacy. ergopraxis, 11(1), 8-10. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-120100.

Weishaar, H., Berens, E.-M., Vogt, D., Gille, S., Horn, A., Schmidt-Kaehler, S., & Schaeffer, D. (2018). Health literacy in short supply - physiotherapists as key advisors. physiopraxis, 16(1), 12-14. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-120166.

Schaeffer, D. (2017). Advanced Nursing Practice - Expanded roles and responsibilities of nursing in primary care in Ontario/Canada. Nursing & Society, 22(1), 18-35.

Schaeffer, D. (2017). Chronic illness and health literacy. In D. Schaeffer & J. M. Pelikan (Eds.), Health literacy: State of research and perspectives (pp. 129-143). Bern: Hogrefe.

Schaeffer, D., & Pelikan, J. M. (2017). Health literacy: research status and perspectives. Bern: Hogrefe.

Schaeffer, D., Berens, E. M., & Vogt, D. (2017). Health literacy of the population in Germany. Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Befragung (Health Literacy in German population - results of a representative survey) Deutsches Ärzteblatt, 1114(4), 53-60.

Schaeffer, D., & Quenzel, G. (2016). Health care conundrums. Health & Society, 19(5), 23-27.

Quenzel, G., & Schaeffer, D. (2016). Health literacy - health literacy of vulnerable populations. Outcome report. Bielefeld: Bielefeld University.

Messer, M., Vogt, D., Quenzel, G., & Schaeffer, D. (2016). Health literacy among vulnerable target groups. Development and design of the HLS-NRW-Q questionnaire. Prevention and Health Promotion. doi: 10.1007/s11553-016-0532-7

Vogt, D., Messer, M., Quenzel, G., & Schaeffer, D. (2016). ''Health literacy-a concept neglected in Germany? Prevention and Health Promotion, 11(1), 46-52. doi: 10.1007/s11553-015-0519-9

Berens, E.-M., Vogt, D., Messer, M., Hurrelmann, K., & Schaeffer, D. (2016). Health literacy among different age groups in Germany: results of a cross-sectional survey. BMC Public Health, 11, 1151.

"National Action Plan Health Literacy - Implementation and Networking" (funded by Robert Bosch Stiftung, duration 2020-2023)

"Health literate health organizations (GKO) - an inventory of existing concepts, working aids, guidelines and examples" (funded by the Ministry of Health (BMG), duration 2020-2022)

"HLS-COVID-19: Corona-related health literacy in the population" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), duration 2020)

"Health Literacy in Germany - Repeat Survey of the HLS-GER (HLS-GER 2)" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), duration 2019-2022)

"Health literacy among people with migration background in Germany (HLS-MIG)" (funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, duration 2018-2022)

"User-oriented care: Promotion of health in the context of chronic diseases and care dependency (research network FörGesQ)" (funded by Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege North Rhine-Westphalia, duration 2018-2021)

"Strengthening eHealth literacy among older people (FörGes 4)" (funded by the Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege North Rhine-Westphalia, duration 2018-2021)

From nursing homes to community-oriented centres for health and long-term care? Evaluation of the four pilots in the model programme "Long-term care institutions - further thinking!" (funded by the Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege, duration 2016-2019)

"Health Literacy in Germany - Development of a National Action Plan" (funded by Robert Bosch Foundation, duration 2016-2019)

"Primary Health Centres - Concepts and Practices (PriKon)" (funded by Robert Bosch Foundation, duration 2015-2017)

"Health literacy as a starting point for user-oriented advice: survey of representative data and the development of a material and a method suitcase" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, duration 2013-2016)

Health Literacy - determination of the health literacy of older people and other vulnerable population groups (funded by North Rhine-Westphalia, duration 2013-2016)

ProPASS - Living on approval, patient/relative training and self-information/self-learning centre (funded by the Ministry of Health, Emancipation, Care and Age and the European Union, duration 2013-2015)

Research Network "User-oriented care for people with chronic conditions and long-term care needs (NuV)" (funded by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research North Rhine-Westphalia, duration 2013-2017

Implementations of interventions to improve the state of care of very old users of inpatient departments (funded by the Foundation Center for Quality in Care in Berlin, duration 2013-2014).

Rural Care Models (RUCA) - an international perspective (funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, duration 2012-2014)

"Health promotion and prevention by movement interventions in in-patient long-term care (with the Centre of Quality in Care, Berlin, duration 2012-2013).

Evaluation of patient information and counseling for Turkish- and Russian-speaking migrants (cooperation partners: Independent Patient Counseling Germany (UPD), duration 2012-2013)

"Quality and health in in-patient care - an empirical survey" (with the Foundation Centre of Quality in Care, Berlin, duration 2011-2012).

"Health promotion in long-term care" (with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Health Promotion Research, Vienna, duration 2008-2015)

Development and proving of instruments for the evaluation of the outcome quality in the field of in-patient care (funded by the Federal Ministry of Health, duration 2008-2011).

"Self-harming and abusive behaviour towards others of mentally ill nursing home residents" (funded by Federal Ministry of Health, duration 2004-2011).

"Support of self-management and adherence of patients with chronic illness following a complex medication regime" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, duration 2004-2011).

Nursing Research Network "Patient-oriented care for chronically ill" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Health, duration 2004-2011)

Speaker of the Graduate School "Influence of social factors on health services" (funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation, duration 2003-2008)

"The advice of consumers and patients according to § 65 b" (in cooperation with the Medical University Hanover, funded by the Umbrella Associations of the Health Insurances, duration 2002-2004)

"Rehabilitation in preference to nursing care" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Health, duration 1999-2002)

"Patient education as a task aimed at improving nursing care quality". Part of the joint North Rhine-Westpahlian Research Program "Public Health" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, duration 1998-2000)

"Promotion of readiness to care in case of serious illness", part 1 and 2 (funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Order, duration 1995-2000)

"Trajectories of AIDS Patients. Process and dynamic aspects of health care utilization" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology, duration 1993-1996).

"Health care for patients with HIV symptoms and Aids. Preventive potential of curative institutions" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology and the Berlin Senate Administration of Science and Research, duration 1990-1992).

"Health care for the elderly: needs and barriers", part of the European comparative study "Age Care Research Europe" (funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), implementation at the Free University Berlin, duration 1985-1989).

"Ecological conditions for the maintenance of the health of the elderly in a large city", part of the international WHO comparative study "Health Services for the Elderly" (funded by the Federal Ministry of Youth, Women, Family and Health, implementation at the Free University Berlin, duration 1979-1981)

Other academic activities (selection)

She was and is a member of numerous committees including:

Current
Member of the jury for the awarding of the Berlin Health Award on the subject of "Health Literacy" (2018-present).

Member of the working group "Health Literacy and Patients Competence" of the Q-AG "Health Literacy" of hte National Cancer Plan (since 2018).

Member of the expert board of the Foundation Health Sciences (since 2017).

Member of the scientific board for the "Development of a National Curriculum on Communication for Medical Students", Institute for Medical Pharmaceutical Exam Questions (IMPP), Mainz (since 2017)

Member of the international scientific board of "Implementation of the Vienna Health Goals 2025", City of Vienna (since 2016)

Member of the 3-country working group "Health Literacy" (since 2016)

Member of the expert commission "Patient-oriented centers for primary and long-term care (PORT)", Robert Bosch Stiftung (since 2015).

Member of the editorial board of the journal "Nursing & Society", publishing companyJuventa (since 2006)

Member of the editorial group of the series "Health Research", publishing company Juventa (since 2005)

Member of the scientific advisory board of the Research Society for Gerontology, Dortmund (since 2005)

Member of the scientific board of the journal "Gerontology and Geriatrics" (since 2004)

Member of the Board of Trustees German Care for Elderly , Cologne (since 2004)

Member of the scientific advisory board of the publishing company Hogrefe , series "Nursing Science" and "Public Health" (since 1999)

Member of the scientific advisory board of the journal "Social Mind. Journal for Hermeneutic Social Research" (since 1999)

Past

Member of the jury for the awarding of the Berlin Health Award 2019 on the subject of Health Literacy, AOK-Bundesverband (2018-2020).

Member of the expert advisory board "Introduction of the new concept of need for long-term care," Federal Ministry of Health (2016-2018)

Member of the advisory board on the Assessment of Developments in the Health Care System, Ministry of Health (2010-2014)

Current research topics

• Coping with chronic illness
• User-oriented health care
• Health maintenance in old age
• Health literacy - patient information and counseling