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Leads / Contacts:Janet Papadakos and Meredith Giuliani

Goals of the Research Centre

The Princess Margaret Cancer Health Literacy Research Centre is focused on leading cancer health literacy and self-management research to enable providers, health care systems, and patients to work together to achieve better health.

The Princess Margaret Cancer Health Literacy Research Centre:

  • Conducts research to better understand the impact of health literacy, how it contributes to overall cancer self-management and health outcomes and what the implications are for health systems
  • Develops and evaluates interventions that aim to improve cancer care through health literate approaches
  • Fosters a community of education researchers who are committed to transforming cancer education for the future

Current conceptualizations of health literacy hold that health system factors, provider factors and patient factors contribute to a health literate population. Challenges associated with these factors provide the opportunity for research and the development of innovative approaches to contribute to a health literate cancer system. The Princess Margaret Cancer Program's Cancer Education Strategy articulates the vision of the Cancer Education Program and the goals within the strategy will be carried out in part, at the Cancer Health Literacy Research Centre.

October is Health Literacy Month!

Join us in celebrating the power of communication in healthcare with the Princess Margaret Cancer Health Literacy Research Centre.

Health literacy is the foundation of equitable, compassionate, and effective cancer care. It empowers patients and caregivers to understand health information, make informed decisions, and confidently manage their health. At the Princess Margaret Cancer Health Literacy Research Centre, we are committed to advancing research, education and practice that supports health literate cancer care.

Why Health Literacy Matters

Health literacy practices:

  • Ensure equitable care for all
  • Help people feel supported and confident in managing their health
  • Build trust between patients and healthcare providers

Explore Our Resources

Whether you are a patient, caregiver, clinician or educator, we invite you to explore tools and resources designed to strengthen your health literacy and communication skills:

Discover Our Research

The Cancer HL Research Centre leads innovative research to understand and improve health literacy and cancer self-management. We invite you to explore our publications and learn more about how our work is shaping the future of cancer education and care.

Featured Publication: The Enduring Power of Print

Even in a digital world, print still matters.
Our latest publication explores how printed health information materials, like pamphlets, continue to build trust, equity and accessibility in cancer care. Discover why print remains a vital tool for patient education, especially for those facing barriers to digital access.

Health Literacy Resources

Health Literacy and Cancer

Challenges in health system factors, provider factors and patient factors can come with significant cost to health care systems and to patients. In cancer, the accessibility of services and subsequent navigation is complex, even for those with adequate health literacy.

  • Health care providers are not regularly trained to communicate using plain language and use other practices that can contribute to better engagement and activation.
  • At the patient level, despite an acknowledged need for patient and caregiver self-management, strategies to optimize engagement are not consistently used in practice.

Watch this video to learn what health literacy is, how it impacts health care, and what you can do to mitigate its effects.

 
Health Numeracy Communication

Numerical concepts include arithmetic and use of percentages, as well as tasks like estimation, probability, problem-solving, and risk assessment.

Like low health literacy, poor numeracy skills are widespread and affect more than just those with lower income or less education. Factors such as emotional stress (perhaps from a recent diagnosis), lack of time or confidence, high demands for numeracy skills, or simply a dislike of math can affect understanding, leading to people feeling overwhelmed.

Health professionals and health systems communicate numerical information in complicated ways, which also increases the challenge for patients and families.

Watch this video of Dr. Tina Moore speaking about health numeracy and how it impacts health care.

 

Student Opportunities

The Cancer Health Literacy Research Centre has student opportunities such as practicum placements and research supervision/mentorship. Contact Janet Papadakos for more information.

Publications

  • Abuzuluf H, Giannopoulos E, Bradbury P, Doherty M, Donahoe L, Czarnecka-Kujawa K, Quartey NK, Ye Xiang Y, Giuliani ME, Papadakos J. Informational needs of lung cancer patients & caregivers. Journal of Cancer Education. January 5, 2025.
  • Ugas M, Calamia MA, Tan J, Umakanthan B, Hill C, Tse K. Cashell A, Muraj Z, Giuliani M, Papadakos J. Evaluating the feasibility and utility of machine translation for patient education materials written in plain language to increase accessibility for populations with limited English proficiency. Patient Education & Counseling. February 2025.
  • Giannopoulos E, Moody L, Mackinnon R, Gill B, Giuliani M, Papadakos J. Evaluating cancer patient-reported experience measures against health literacy best practices. Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer. 32.10 (2024): 631.
  • Worku F, Ugas M, Wheeler S, Siddiqui A, Papadakos J. A cross-sectional study of COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Black communities in the Greater Toronto Area. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. June 20, 2024.
  • Ugas M, Giuliani ME, Papadakos J. When is good, good enough? On considerations of machine translation in patient education. Journal of Cancer Education, January 23, 2024, 2024 Oct;39(5):474-476.
  • Papadakos J, Ugas M, Quartey NK, Papadakos T, Giuliani ME. Assessing the comprehensive training needs of informal caregivers of cancer patients. Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(4), 3845-3858; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30040291.
  • Goldstein C, Woods N, MacKinnon R, Fazelzad R, Gill B, Giuliani ME, Papadakos T, Wei Q, Papadakos J. Numeracy education for healthcare providers: A scoping review. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. June 8, 2023.
  • Ugas M, Mackinnon R, Amadasun A, Brual J, Escamilla Z, Gill B, Giuliani ME, Fazelzad R, Martin H, Papadakos J. Associations of health literacy and health outcomes among populations with limited language proficiency: A scoping review. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. 34.2 (2023): 731-757.
  • Murong M, Giannopoulos E, Pirrie L, Giuliani ME, Fazelzad R, Bender J, Jones J, Papadakos J. The experience of informal newcomer cancer caregivers with limited language proficiency: A scoping review. J Immigr Minor Health. Published online December 20, 2022.
  • Worku F, Bennett F, Siddiqui A, Wheeler S, Papadakos J. Exploring the COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) in the black community: A scoping review. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 11.1 (2024): 273-299.
  • Julius A, Croke J, Giannopoulos E, Manhertz JM, Lawrie K, Quartey NK, Papadakos J. Exploring brachytherapy discharge educational needs of gynecological cancer patients. Journal of Cancer Education. 38.4 (2023): 1200-1207.
  • Ugas M, Avery L, Wang Y, Berlin A, Giuliani ME, Krzyzanowska M, Papadakos T, Quartey NK, Samoil D, Papadakos J. COVID-19 and cancer patients in the second year of the pandemic: Investigating treatment impact, information sources, and COVID-19 related knowledge, attitudes and practices. Current Oncology, Vol. 29. 11, November 18, 2022.
  • Giannopoulos E, Catton C, Giuliani M, Kucharski E, Matthew A, Quartey NK, Papadakos J. Predictors of prostate cancer survivors’ engagement in self-management behaviours: Prostate cancer survivors’ engagement in self-management behaviours. Canadian Urological Association Journal. September 30, 2022.
  • Giannopoulos E, McBain S, Giuliani M, Wang J, Zwicker V, Fox C, Papadakos J. Health literacy and radiation therapy: a current state assessment of patient education materials. Journal of Cancer Education. August 3, 2022.
  • Kopec M, Quartey NK, Snow, Stechkevich A, Giuliani M, Papadakos J. Improving access to patient education: An audit of extant educational materials. Journal of Cancer Education. July 22, 2022.
  • Papadakos J, Samoil D, Catton C, Kucharski E, Matthew A, Quartey NK, Giuliani M. Prostate cancer survivor capacity to engage in survivorship self-management: A comparison of perceptions between oncology specialists, primary care, and survivors. Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer. August 30, 2022.

Additional Resources

https://www.uhn.ca/PrincessMargaret/Education/Continuing_Education_Programs/Pages/continuing_education_programs.aspx
Last reviewed: 10/22/2025
Last modified: 10/23/2025 9:56 AM
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