Sigurd Maurud

• Borge, Christine Råheim; Eik, Hedda; Wahl, Astrid Klopstad; Bragstad, Line Kildal; Sylwander, Charlotte & Hjorthaug, Kristin [Show all 26 contributors for this article] (2026). Health literacy research in primary healthcare services – A scoping review. Patient Education and Counseling. ISSN 0738-3991. 149. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2026.109675. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective To systematically map existing evidence on health literacy among people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in primary healthcare. Methods An interdisciplinary research group conducted a scoping review following the Arksey and O’Malley framework, refined by Levac and Peters, and reported according to PRISMA-ScR. The review was registered in OSF and applied the Population–Concept–Context framework to define inclusion criteria. Searches were conducted in Medline, APA PsycInfo, Scopus, and Cochrane for studies published between 2000–2025. Peer-reviewed studies were screened in Rayyan, and data were charted and thematically analyzed through team-based consensus. Results The search identified 7952 studies, of which 106 studies met the inclusion criteria. Participants’ mean age was 59 years; 56% were female. Studies originated from 29 countries, mainly the USA, China, and Canada, with an increase after 2013. Three main themes were identified: (1) health literacy, social status, and ethnicity, (2) health literacy, disease, and health outcomes, and (3) health literacy, NCD knowledge, and self-management. Many studies reported associations between health literacy, and self-management, quality of life, and some clinical outcomes, but findings across designs and outcomes were heterogeneous and not consistently positive. Conclusions Improved communication, greater cultural competence, and tailored health literacy interventions are associated with better self-management and disease outcomes in non-communicable diseases, but most evidence is associative rather than causal, intervention effects are mixed, and research on health literacy experiences remains limited. Practice Implications More rigorously designed intervention studies and broader conceptualization and measurement of health literacy with multidimensional instruments are needed to strengthen the evidence and clarify how health literacy relates to social status, disease outcomes, and self-management in primary healthcare. Training healthcare professionals to assess and address health literacy is essential to promote equity and effective patient engagement.

• Maurud, Sigurd; Lunde, Lene; Moen, Anne & Opheim, Randi (2025). Mapping conditional health literacy and digital health literacy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease to optimise availability of digital health information: a cross-sectional study. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. ISSN 0036-5521. doi: 10.1080/00365521.2025.2497952. Full text in Research Archive
• Maurud, Sigurd; Lunde, Lene; Moen, Anne & Opheim, Randi (2024). Exploring the foundations of a digital health information service for patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a mixed method study in Gravitate-Health. BMC Gastroenterology. 24(1). doi: 10.1186/s12876-024-03272-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Providing relevant digital health information of high quality may promote treatment adherence and self-management for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The development of digital health services is optimised by considering end users’ needs. Aim To identify key aspects required for digital promotion of inflammatory bowel disease patients’ self-management by exploring their health information needs and the preferences of both patients and healthcare professionals in relation to the digital provision of inflammatory bowel disease health services. Methods Data from an audit of 1,481 electronic health record summaries from an inflammatory bowel disease help line, 17 semi-structured interviews with inflammatory bowel disease patients and 2 focus group interviews with 11 healthcare professionals were analysed. Results Patients primarily contacted the hospital due to concerns about symptoms, examinations and tests, and medicines. Their concerns appeared to vary according to diagnosis, gender, age and disease duration. The interviews identified two overarching themes: (1) the available health information and patients’ health information needs, and (2) whishes, thoughts and preferences for a digital solution in IBD care with relevant and individualised information. Conclusions The findings delineate key aspects for developing a suitable digital health information service. Patients seek information from healthcare professionals about treatment; however, in a digital solution, they want access to relevant and practical information about the disease, treatment and self-management. Both patients and healthcare professionals saw opportunities for increasing health data availability to patients. However, healthcare professionals expressed concerns about adapting, maintaining and ensuring the relevance of patient health information without increasing their workload and, thus, reducing quality of care.

• Maurud, Sigurd; Henni, Silje Havrevold & Moen, Anne (2023). Health Equity in Clinical Research Informatics. Yearbook of Medical Informatics. ISSN 0943-4747. 32(1), p. 138–145. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1768720. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objectives: Through a scoping review, we examine in this survey what ways health equity has been promoted in clinical research informatics with patient implications and especially published in the year of 2021 (and some in 2022). Method: A scoping review was conducted guided by using methods described in the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual. The review process consisted of five stages: 1) development of aim and research question, 2) literature search, 3) literature screening and selection, 4) data extraction, and 5) accumulate and report results. Results: From the 478 identified papers in 2021 on the topic of clinical research informatics with focus on health equity as a patient implication, 8 papers met our inclusion criteria. All included papers focused on artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The papers addressed health equity in clinical research informatics either through the exposure of inequity in AI-based solutions or using AI as a tool for promoting health equity in the delivery of healthcare services. While algorithmic bias poses a risk to health equity within AI-based solutions, AI has also uncovered inequity in traditional treatment and demonstrated effective complements and alternatives that promotes health equity. Conclusions: Clinical research informatics with implications for patients still face challenges of ethical nature and clinical value. However, used prudently—for the right purpose in the right context—clinical research informatics could bring powerful tools in advancing health equity in patient care.

• Henni, Silje Havrevold; Maurud, Sigurd; Fuglerud, Kristin Skeide & Moen, Anne (2022). The experiences, needs and barriers of people with impairments related to usability and accessibility of digital health solutions, levels of involvement in the design process and strategies for participatory and universal design: a scoping review. BMC Public Health. 22(35). doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-12393-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective Globally, the number of digital health solutions is increasing, but they are not always designed with access and utilisation for people with impairments in mind. Development efforts have often not included the voice and requirements of people with impairments, who make up 15% of the world’s population, despite the fact that this can help ensure broad access and utilisation. Little attention to and limited inclusion of people with impairments in the development of digital health solutions results in continued and reinforced inequalities in health services provision for people with impairments. This review investigates the needs and barriers of people with impairments related to use of digital health solutions and strategies to foster user participation, access and utilisation of digital health solutions. Methods This scoping review, based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual, had five phases: 1) identification of aim and research questions, 2) literature search in five databases (April/May 2020), 3) literature screening based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 4) data extraction, and (5) reporting results. Results The literature search resulted in 5968 sources, of which 25 met our inclusion criteria. People with impairments appreciate digital health solutions that are designed to meet their specific impairment-related challenges. The reported needs and barriers related to technological design varied depending on the individuals’ challenges. The literature reported different types of participatory co-design strategies to foster access and utilisation of digital health solutions. Conclusion This scoping review support needs for increased awareness among developers to design solutions that meet people’s needs, contexts and states of health. By applying universal design as a strategy and including people with different types of impairments, starting in the idea creation phase of digital health solutions and throughout the development, developers can design solutions with better accessibility. Digital health solutions that are accessible and usable have a tremendous opportunity to foster health equity and achieve health promotion, prevention and self-care. This in turn can contribute to closing the gap between different population groups, reduce disparities and get the most from available healthcare services.

• Maurud, Sigurd; Børøsund, Elin & Moen, Anne (2022). Gender and ethnicity's influence on first-year nursing students' educational motivation and career expectations: A cross-sectional study. Nursing Open. 3, p. 1667–1678. doi: 10.1002/nop2.1191. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Aim Given the apparent link between gender and ethnicity, and the diversity and career opportunities in nursing, this study examined gender and ethnicity's influence on first-year nursing students' educational motivation and career expectations. Design Cross-sectional. Methods Through bootstrapped linear regressions, we analysed data on 504 Norwegian first-year nursing students' self-reported educational motivation and career expectations, from the StudData survey at the Centre for the Study of Professions (SPS) at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). Results The sample consisted of 67 (13%) male and 437 (87%) female nursing students. Female students were more motivated compared to male students by professional interest and to pursue a specialization, less likely to assume leadership positions in the future, and more likely to prioritize family and pursue positions in the traditional nursing field. In total, 425 (84%) respondents stated a Norwegian background. Respondents who stated that both of their parents were born in a country other than Norway made up the 79 (16%) students of immigrant background. Those with immigrant backgrounds were more motivated than other students by income, status and flexible working hours and less likely to pursue a specialization or future employment in the nursing field

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• Lunde, Lene; Maurud, Sigurd; Bønes, Erlend; Connolly, Leona; McCabe, Catherine & Moen, Anne (2024). Support for patient self-management and digital health literacy with more relevant health information. Full text in Research Archive
• Turk, Eva; Maurud, Sigurd; Løw, Line Marie & Moen, Anne (2021). Gravitate-Health. Full text in Research Archive
• Maurud, Sigurd (2026). Focusing and tailoring digital health information to patients with inflammatory bowel disease: illness perceptions, health literacy and self-management. Universitetet i Oslo. ISSN 9788234808784. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This thesis focuses on self-management support through digital health information for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD patients require skills to manage fluctuating symptoms and medications but report inadequate access to reliable and relevant health information. Addressed through three exploratory substudies of IBD patients conducted at a Norwegian university hospital, the thesis aimed to promote patient engagement and empowerment in health and care by identifying strategies for focusing and tailoring digital health information in IBD, to support IBD patients’ self-management activities. Substudy 1 explored digital health information needs and preferences in self-management through a convergent mixed methods design, including 17 patient interviews, focus groups with 11 healthcare providers and an audit of 1,481 telephone consultation records. Substudy 2 examined 380 patients’ health literacy and digital health literacy and their associations with clinical, psychosocial and demographic characteristics in a cross-sectional design. Substudy 3 examined the relationship between health information needs reported by patients in Substudy 1 (N = 17), and illness perceptions reported by patients in Substudy 2 (N = 380). Using a sequential mixed methods design, the study searched for profiles of patients’ self-management priorities. Patients reported health information needs that varied with diagnosis, gender, age and disease duration. Lower health literacy and digital health literacy were associated with higher disease activity, lower treatment adherence, and lower employment and biological therapy. Three patient profiles differed in disease activity, quality of life, self-management engagement and social support. The thesis concludes that digital health information should be focused and tailored to meet IBD patients’ needs, health literacy and illness perceptions to strengthen health engagement, empowerment and self-management.

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