The 6th Health Literacy Conference

From Strategy to Execution: Advancing Health Literacy

The 6th Health Literacy Conference
Register Now (Day 1) Register Now (Day 2)
  • 3-4 October 2026
Target Audience
Day 1 (in person): 7:00 am – 3:30 pm
Day 2 (Virtual): 8:45 am - 1:30 pm

Registration Fees:
• Day 1: 300 QAR
• Day 2: 150 QAR

Overview

In recognition of the International Health Literacy Month in October, the Health and Wellness Education Department at Sidra Medicine is hosting its 6th Health Literacy Conference.

This year’s theme is: “From Strategy to Execution: Advancing Health Literacy.”

The 6th Hybrid Health Literacy Conference will be held on 3–4 October 2026:

  • 3 October 2026: In-person
  • 4 October 2026: Virtual

Objectives

  • Analyze and evaluate evidence-based research, knowledge, and best practices to advance health literacy across healthcare settings.
  • Apply health literacy strategies to develop actionable frameworks for implementation in clinical, educational, and community settings.
  • Examine and align health literacy initiatives with the Ministry of Public Health’s National Health Strategy 2024–2030 to support national healthcare priorities.
  • Design and integrate health literacy approaches that strengthen patient-centered care and improve health outcomes.

Target Audience

  • Physicians
  • Nurses
  • Pharmacists
  • Allied Health Practitioners
  • Dentists

Scientific Committee

Amal Al Farsi
Amal Al Farsi

Chair

Manager of Health and Wellness Education, Sidra Medicine, Qatar
Maha Al-Naama
Maha Al-Naama

Co-Chair

Health & Wellness Educator
Duane Wong
Duane Wong

Member

Director – Allied Health, Allied Health Department
Murtada Hammad
Murtada Hammad

Member

Director – Medical Education Operations
Dr. Bouthayna Al Tamimi
Dr. Bouthayna Al Tamimi

Member

Attending Physician – Dentistry Sec
Dr. Maher Salem
Dr. Maher Salem

Head of Inpatient and Emergency Pharmacy Services
Emma Reid
Emma Reid

Member

Director – Nursing (Pediatric Medicine and Emergency Services)
Ansu Varghese
Ansu Varghese

Member

Clinical Nurse Manager – OPC Children’s Clinics
Arwah Eid
Arwah Eid

Member

Clinical Nurse Leader
Noor Numan
Noor Numan

Member

Lead – Patient and Community Engagement
Farah Nawab
Farah Nawab

Member

Clinical Pharmacist
Lama AlJindi
Lama AlJindi

Member

Health & Wellness Educator
Khulood Ali
Khulood Ali

Health and Wellness Coordinator

Opening Remarks

Dr. Mohammed Al-Thani
Dr. Mohammed Al-Thani

Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Prevention Programs Department
Amal AL-Farsi
Amal AL-Farsi

Manager of Health and Wellness Education Department

Keynote Speakers (Day 1)

Dr. Patricia Abboud
Dr. Patricia Abboud

Executive Director of Medical Services
Maryam Nooh
Maryam Nooh

Chief Nursing Officer
Prof. Susu Zughaier
Prof. Susu Zughaier

Acting Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Chair of Infectious Diseases Research Network and AI in Medicine Instructor

Speakers (Day 1)

Dr. Amal Alali
Dr. Amal Alali

Executive Director of Quality, Patient Safety & Innovation
Prof. Shahrokh Esfandiari
Prof. Shahrokh Esfandiari

Dean of the College of Health Sciences
Dr. Ghadir Fakhri
Dr. Ghadir Fakhri

Assistant Professor of Health Education and Promotion
Dr. Hamad Ali Al-Sharshani
Dr. Hamad Ali Al-Sharshani

Insulin Pump and Diabetes Educator Specialist Deputy Head of Diabetes Education
Dr. Maher Salem
Dr. Maher Salem

Head of Inpatient and Emergency Pharmacy Services
Jennifer Lugg
Jennifer Lugg

Child Life Specialist
Khulood Ali
Khulood Ali

Health and Wellness Coordinator
Noora Al-Hajaji
Noora Al-Hajaji

Guest Relations Team Lead
Adnan Fathi
Adnan Fathi

Case Manager
Mohammed Amer
Mohammed Amer

Clinical Nurse Educator
Dr. Dima Abdulrahim
Dr. Dima Abdulrahim

Assistant Professor of Public Health
Dr. Jafar Alabdullah
Dr. Jafar Alabdullah

Assistant Professor
Amal AL-Farsi
Amal AL-Farsi

Manager of Health and Wellness Education Department
Dionne Sears
Dionne Sears

Manager of Social Work
Aljori Al-Ajji
Aljori Al-Ajji

Health and Wellness Educator

Speakers (Day 2)

Dr. Abubakr Imam
Dr. Abubakr Imam

Division Chief of Nephrology and Hypertension Clinical Professor, College of Medicine
Taseer Feroze
Taseer Feroze

Assistant Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology, Head-Neck Surgery. Qatar and Pediatric Otolaryngologist, Head-Neck Surgeon
Emily Mckenzie
Emily Mckenzie

Clinical Nurse Facilitator
Tracy Simpson
Tracy Simpson

Clinical Nurse Leader
Amar Seesarun
Amar Seesarun

Senior Specialist - Patient Safety Training

Program Overview

Day 1 (In-person)

Time Session Title/Topic Session-Specific Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
07:00 – 07:30 Registration & Welcome N/A
07:30 – 07:45 Opening Remarks
•  Dr. Mohammed Al-Thani: Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Prevention Programs Department
• Amal Al-Farsi: Manager of Health and Wellness Education Department		 N/A
07:45 – 08:00 Honor Session & group Photo N/A
Theme 1: Optimizing Patient-Centered Care Through Health Literacy
08:00 – 08:30 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Patricia Abboud
Session Title: Patient-Centered Care Starts with Health Literacy
  1. Define health literacy and its relevance to patient-centered care
  2. Recognize the impact of low health literacy on outcomes, safety, and equity
  3. Identify practical strategies to embed health literacy into daily clinical practice and health systems
Q&A Session
08:30 – 09:00 Speaker: Dr. Amal Abdulla Alali
Session Title: Transforming Care Through Organizational Health Literacy
  1. Differentiate personal and organizational health literacy and explain why accountability for health literacy has shifted from the patient to the healthcare organization.
  2. Appraise the evidence linking limited health literacy to patient-safety outcomes including medication errors, hospitalizations, readmissions, and mortality and to the delivery of patient-centered care.
  3. Apply evidence-based, universal-precautions strategies (e.g., teach-back, plain language, and systems-level navigation) that make health information understandable and actionable for all patients.
  4. Formulate a socioecological approach to advancing organizational health literacy within primary care, including practical measures of impact aligned to national strategy.
Q&A session
09:00 – 10:00 Panel Discussion: Optimizing Patient-Centered Care Through Health Literacy
Panelists:
• Mohammed Amer
• Dr. Dima Abdulrahim
• Dr. Jafar Alabdullah
• Amal AL-Farsi
  1. Examine how health literacy influences patients’ understanding, engagement, and ability to participate actively in their healthcare decisions.
  2. Apply strategies to address health literacy barriers and support informed decision-making.
  3. understand the impact of health literacy initiatives on improving the overall patient experience and quality of care delivery.
Q&A session
10:00 – 10:15 Coffee Break
Theme 2: Systematizing Health Literacy for Sustainable Impact.
10:15 – 10:45 Keynote Speaker: Maryam Nooh Al Mutawa
Session Title: Words That Heal: Beyond the Language Barrier
  1. Analyze current challenges affecting patient and staff experiences
  2. Describe innovative approaches that support the health literacy journey
  3. Apply evidence-based best practices to strengthen and scale health literacy initiatives within healthcare settings
Q&A session
10:45 – 11:15 Speaker: Dionne Sears
Session Title: Complexity to Clarity: Advancing Health Literacy Through System Navigation
  1. Examine how healthcare system complexity impacts patient understanding, navigation, access, and engagement across diverse care settings.
  2. Analyze the role of Social Work in advancing organizational health literacy through patient advocacy, system navigation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and equitable access to care.
  3. Differentiate between traditional patient education approaches and system navigation strategies that support health literacy and patient-centered outcomes.
  4. Apply practical interdisciplinary frameworks to improve health literacy through workflow design, communication pathways, care coordination, and patient navigation processes.
  5. Evaluate opportunities to integrate sustainable, culturally responsive, and technology-enabled health literacy practices into clinical and operational healthcare environments
Q&A session
11:15 – 12:15 Panel Discussion: Systematizing Health Literacy for Sustainable Impact
Panelists:
• Dr. Ghadir Fakhri
• Aljori Al-Ajji
• Dr. Hamad Al-Sharshani
• Dr. Maher Salem
  1. Explore approaches to integrating health literacy into healthcare systems, policies, and practices for long-term impact.
  2. Apply strategies to embed health literacy principles into organizational culture and daily healthcare delivery.
  3. Explain the role of collaboration, measurement, and continuous improvement in sustaining health literacy initiatives.
Q&A session
12:15 – 13:15 Lunch Break
Theme 3: Technology-Driven Integration: Transforming Health Literacy into Patient Outcomes
13:15 – 13:45 Keynote Speaker: Prof. Susu Zughaier
Session Title: The Impact of AI Tools on Patient Literacy: Communication, Diagnosis, and Management Understanding
  1. Describe the role of artificial intelligence in improving patient health literacy, patient-doctor communication, and shared decision-making
  2. Evaluate the benefits, limitations, and ethical challenges of AI tools in enhancing patients’ understanding of disease diagnosis and long-term disease management
  3. Apply evidence-based AI tools safeguards that maximize AI’s benefits for health literacy while minimizing risks
Q&A session
13:45 – 14:15 Speaker: Prof. Shahrokh Esfandiari
Session Title: Building a Health-Literate Workforce: Academic–Healthcare Partnerships for Better Patient Outcomes
  1. Describe the importance of health literacy as a key component of patient-centered care and improved health outcomes.
  2. Discuss the role of health professions education in preparing future healthcare practitioners to address health literacy challenges.
  3. Examine the value of academic-healthcare partnerships in advancing health literacy education.
  4. Review the UDST–Sidra Medicine collaboration as a case study for integrating health literacy training into healthcare curricula.
  5. Identify opportunities for expanding health literacy education across health disciplines and leveraging emerging technologies.
Q&A session
14:15 – 15:15 Panel Discussion: Technology-Driven Integration: Transforming Health Literacy into Patient
Panelists:
• Jennifer Lugg
• Khulood Ali
• Adnan Fathi
• Noora Al-Hajaji
  1. Understand how digital health technologies can enhance health literacy and improve patient access to understandable health information.
  2. Evaluate the role of technology in supporting patient engagement, communication, and self-management.
  3. Identify  innovative approaches that leverage technology to improve health outcomes and advance patient-centered care.
Q&A session
15:15 – 15:30 Closing Remarks

Day 2 (Virtual)

Time Session Title/Topic Session-Specific Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
08:45 – 09:00 Welcoming N/A
Theme 1: Optimizing Patient-Centered Care Through Health Literacy
09:00 – 09:40 Speaker:  Dr. Abubakr Imam
Session Title: Advancing Healthcare Quality by Embracing Health Literacy in Clinical Practice
  1. Understand the strong correlation between health literacy and the healthcare quality outcomes.
  2. Implement health literacy strategies to improve access-to-care pathways
  3. Describe the meaningful and sustanalbe impact on the patient journey by implementing the health literacy strategies.
Q&A session
09:40 – 10:20 Speaker: Dr. Taseer Feroze  Din
Session Title: Refining Health Literacy in Pediatric ENT in the Middle East
  1. Outline the consequences of lack of health literacy
  2. Describe baseline health literacy of pediatric ENT in Qatar
  3. Describe tools that upgrade health literacy of pediatric ENT in Qatar
Q&A session
10:20 – 11:00 Speaker: Emily Mckenzie
Session Title: Optimizing Patient-Centered Care Through Health Literacy: Practical Strategies to Support Children and Families
  1. Recognize the importance of health literacy in supporting safe, patient-centered care
  2. Describe creative ideas to support families’ understanding of healthcare information
  3. Apply insights from clinical experience to improve family understanding, engagement, and adherence
Q&A session
Theme 2: Systematizing Health Literacy for Sustainable Impact.
11:00 – 11:40 Speaker: Amar Seesarun
Session Title: Health Literacy for Sustainable Impact: From strategy to execution: patient safety, experience and outcomes
  1. Describe the relationship between health literacy, patient safety, and patient experience.
  2. Identify common barriers to implementing health literacy in clinical practice.
  3. Apply a practical framework to support the sustainable implementation of health literacy initiatives.
Q&A session
11:40 – 12:00 Lunch and prayer break
12:00– 12:40 Speaker:  Tracy Simpson
Session Title: From Standards to Understanding: How Nursing Accreditation Advances Health Literacy and Sustainable Care
  1. Analyze the relationship between health literacy, Nursing quality, safety, and sustainability
  2. Demonstrate how accreditation standards can strengthen understandable, person-centered care
  3. Apply practical actions nurse leaders can take to embed health literacy into daily practice
Q&A session
12:40– 13:20 Panel Discussion: Systematizing Health Literacy for Sustainable Impact
Panelists:
• Dr. Abubakr Imam
• Taseer Feroze
• Emily Mckenzie
• Tracy Simpson
• Amar Seesarun
  1. Understand how health literacy can be integrated into healthcare practices and systems to enhance patient-centered care.
  2. Evaluatestrategies to sustain health literacy initiatives and strengthen their impact on patients, healthcare providers, and organizations.
  3. Synthesize insights and best practices for advancing a health-literate healthcare environment that improves patient experiences and outcomes.
Q&A session
13:20– 13:30 Closing remark

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