Empowering by deciding: the value of the Catalan School of Health

Increasingly, the Catalan healthcare system is betting on a model where the patient ceases to be a passive recipient of care and becomes an active protagonist in their own well-being. With this vision, the Generalitat de Catalunya is promoting theCatalan School of Health, a digital space designed to offer citizens knowledge and tools to improve their health care from a comprehensive approach, based on scientific evidence and proposing content and training activities that encourage healthy lifestyles and prevent health risk factors.

The initiative promotes independent decision-making, co-responsibility, and an active commitment to one's own health. The Catalan Health School is supported by a Pedagogical and Expert Committee made up of both healthcare professionals and citizens. It also offers a set of useful resources for healthcare personnel, designed to help them recommend reliable sources of health information to patients.

Four thematic areas

This space provides a selection of health education content, tools, and resources, structured into four thematic areas: Health Conditions, Active Role in Health, Well-being, and Healthy Communities. Each of these areas addresses key aspects to promote autonomy and well-being in health.

The space "Health conditions" aims to offer clear and reliable health information and training. Here you'll find content and resources on various conditions and treatments. "Active role in health" It is a gateway to knowledge and empowerment in health. It not only provides guidance on useful resources for self-care and caring for others, but also highlights transformative initiatives of the Department of Health, such as the Patient Expert Program and the Caregiver Expert Program of Catalonia, which value people's experiences to improve collective health.

The section "Welfare" It encourages people to adopt habits that improve their quality of life, promoting healthy lifestyles and good emotional health. It's a space to connect with their own well-being and make self-care a daily priority.

Finally, "Healthy Communities" It invites us to look beyond individual health and understand how the environment in which we live, work, and interact directly influences our well-being. This space focuses on the social factors that determine health and promotes actions to build healthier, more equitable, and more favorable environments for all.

Towards a more participatory health

Taking an active role in health care involves participating in decisions about one's own treatment, being well-informed, expressing one's own preferences, and sharing responsibilities with healthcare professionals. This understanding of the relationship with the healthcare system fosters a more collaborative and equitable model, where people are the protagonists of their health and care journey.

A diverse training offer open to citizens

The Catalan Health School is open to all citizens and offers a variety of training programs to promote knowledge, co-responsibility, and autonomy in health. Its program includes topics of interest such as nutrition, healthy digitalization, sexuality, and other aspects related to physical and emotional well-being.

Courses geared toward informed decision-making also play a prominent role, such as the course on the Advance Directive (AD) or the Shared Decisions in Health course. Other offerings, such as the Health and Well-being course, introduce basic concepts that help citizens take an active role in caring for their own health and that of the community.

The training offering is adapted to the needs and interests that are detected. In this regard, the School programs new editions of the most in-demand courses and continually works to develop new content that responds to the strategic objectives of health promotion and active participation of people. More information at canalsalud.gencat.cat/escola