From health education to digital health literacy – building on the past to shape the future

2021 ◽  
pp. 175797592110440
Author(s):  
Don Nutbeam
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
New Public Health ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
New Public ◽  
Available Information

Health education has continuously evolved and taken several distinctive forms over the decades. The emergence of new concepts such as health promotion and health literacy have helped to shape and refine our understanding of how the purpose, content and methods of health education can adapt with to new public health methods and priorities. Viewing health education through the lens of health literacy has been particularly helpful in differentiating between traditional task-focused health education, and skills-focused health education designed to develop more generic, transferable skills. The advent of digital media has enabled unprecedented access to health information but brought with it new challenges. Managing the volume of available information, and assessing its quality and reliability have become essential digital health literacy skills in the information age. As health educators we need to continue to adapt our practices to these new opportunities and understand the challenges that come with them.

scholarly journals Digital health literacy of health care profession students

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Dratva ◽  
S Juvalta ◽  
M Gemperle ◽  
D Händler-Schuster ◽  
M Scheermesser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Personal Health Information

Abstract Background Digital transformation in health and health systems is a chance and a challenge for health professionals irrespective of their field. To maximize the benefit for patients high digital health literacy is required. A requirement not represented in health professions’ curricula in Switzerland. Little is known on the digital health competencies of students, on their utilization and views of digital media in the context of health, thus a cross-sectional survey was performed at a School of Health Professsions in Switzerland. Methods All BSc. students (N = 1200; nursing, midwifery, occupational health, physiotherapy and health promotion) received an online questionnaire covering utilization of various information resources, views on digital health & media and the German eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS, score 0 - 40). Descriptive and group analyses were performed, further adjusted analyses will be run. Results 453 students responded (female N = 368, male N = 26). Participation was 38% and highest in 1st students. Personal health information resources used most were: internet 82%, familiy&friends 70%, health professionals 66%, textbooks 40%. A majority rated digital media as important (66%) or rather important (30%) for their future professional activities. The overall eHeals-score was 28.6 (sd 4.93); critical evaluation and confidence in applying information scored lowest. Preliminary group analyses show significant increase by study year (1st 28.0, 2nd 28.9, 3rd 29.7, p = 0.01), while scores by gender or health profession were non-significantly different. Conclusions Almost all students in health professions use digital media for their own health information needs and consider digital media as highly relevant for their future career. Critical evaluation skills need to be strenghtend. Digital Health Literacy is only slightly higher in 3rd year students. Longitudinal data are needed to differentiate cohort from learning effects. Key messages Digital media are increasingly important in health systems, a view shared by future health professionals. Data indicate only a small increase of digital health literacy across three years of study. Curricula should include digital health competencies to ensure a highly digitally skilled health work force.

scholarly journals Electronic Health Literacy in Swiss-German Parents: Cross-Sectional Study of eHealth Literacy Scale Unidimensionality (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibylle Juvalta ◽  
Matthew J Kerry ◽  
Rebecca Jaks ◽  
Isabel Baumann ◽  
Julia Dratva
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Factor Analyses ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Swiss German

BACKGROUND Parents often use digital media to search for information related to their children’s health. As the quantity and quality of digital sources meant specifically for parents expand, parents’ digital health literacy is increasingly important to process the information they retrieve. One of the earliest developed and widely used instruments to assess digital health literacy is the self-reported eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). However, the eHEALS has not been psychometrically validated in a sample of parents. Given the inconsistency of the eHEALS underlying factor structure across previous reports, it is particularly important for validation to occur. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the factor structure of the German eHEALS measure in a sample of parents by adopting classic and modern psychometric approaches. In particular, this study sought to identify the eHEALS validity as a unidimensional index as well as the viability for potential subscales. METHODS A cross-sectional design was used across two purposive sampling frames: online and paper administrations. Responses were collected between January 2018 and May 2018 from 703 Swiss-German parents. In addition to determining the sampling characteristics, we conducted exploratory factor analysis of the eHEALS by considering its ordinal structure using polychoric correlations. This analysis was performed separately for online–based and paper–based responses to examine the general factor strength of the eHEALS as a unidimensional index. Furthermore, item response theory (IRT) analyses were conducted by fitting eHEALS to a bifactor model to further inspect its unidimensionality and subscale viability. RESULTS Parents in both samples were predominantly mothers (622/703, 88.5%), highly educated (538/703, 76.9%), of Swiss nationality (489/703, 71.8%), and living with a partner (692/703, 98.4%). Factor analyses of the eHEALS indicated the presence of a strong general factor across both paper and online samples, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test indicated that the eHEALS total sum score was not significantly different between the paper and online samples (<i>P</i>=.12). Finally, the IRT analyses indicated negligible multidimensionality, insufficient subscale reliability after accounting for the eHEALS general factor, and a reduced subset of items that could serve as a unidimensional index of the eHEALS across the paper and online samples. CONCLUSIONS The German eHEALS evidenced good psychometric properties in a parent-specific study sample. Factor analyses indicated a strong general factor across purposively distinct sample frames (online and paper). IRT analyses validated the eHEALS as a unidimensional index while failing to find support for subscale usage.

Interactive Communication Tools for Health Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 827-837
Author(s):  
Machi Suka ◽  
Katsumi Yoshida
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Interactive Communication ◽  
Leading Mode ◽  
Provide Health Education

This chapter introduces an interactive communication tool, the ‘HRA System’. The recent rapid penetration of the Internet has made it a leading mode for gathering and sharing health information. People who access information on the Internet differ considerably in their ‘health literacy’, or the ability to understand and act on health information. The HRA System was developed in an effort to promote health education among people with inadequate health literacy. The system was designed in accordance with the clients’ health literacy skills, as well as the clients’ computer skills. A number of healthcare providers have registered with our research group to provide health education using the HRA System to the general public. The authors provide some ideas regarding how to apply interactive communication technology to health education successfully.

Health Literacy From a Pediatrician's Perspective

2022 ◽  
pp. 251-273
Author(s):  
Nazan Sarper
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Fundamental Education ◽  
Training Activities

Health literacy describes individual's skills to understand and use the information on health issues, compliance to the prescribed therapeutic regimen, prevention of disease and accidents, filtering the information, and making good judgments to maintain a healthy life. Low school education and fundamental education and poverty are barriers to gain health literacy. If TV broadcasts are used optimally for training in health issues, they may reach many people. The density of the active physicians, nurses and midwives, national health coverage, and training activities of the civil associations for chronic disease contribute to health literacy. Controversy exists about the benefits and risks of social media and mass media to health literacy due to information pollution. Self-diagnosis and marketing of under-the-counter drugs are problems of the digital age. Some projects aiming to improve digital health literacy skills will help people to reach reliable health-related information. Communication skills of healthcare professionals are also important.

scholarly journals The Role of Age, Education, and Digital Health Literacy in the Usability of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain: Mixed Methods Study

10.2196/12883 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. e12883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalie van der Vaart ◽  
Dorine van Driel ◽  
Kristel Pronk ◽  
Suzan Paulussen ◽  
Selma te Boekhorst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Performance Tasks ◽  
Insight Into

Background Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT) can be effective in mental and somatic health care. Research on the feasibility of internet interventions in clinical practice is, however, still scarce. Studies with a focus on the patient regarding usability of interventions and digital health literacy skills are especially lacking. Objective The goal of this study was to assess the usability of an iCBT for chronic pain, Master Your Pain, and the relationship between its usability outcomes and the factors age, educational level, and digital health literacy skills. The aims were to determine what changes were needed in the program for sufficient usability and which individual characteristics were related to the usability of the program. Methods Patients were recruited from two mental health care practices. A mixed methods approach was used in this study. A qualitative observational study comprising performance tasks in the iCBT program was used to test usability. A quantitative questionnaire was used to measure possible related constructs. Usability was operationalized as the number of tasks that could be completed and the type and number of problems that occurred while doing so. Performance tasks were set up to measure 6 digital skills: (1) operating the computer and internet browser, (2) navigation and orientation, (3) using search strategies, (4) evaluating relevance of content, (5) adding personal content, and (6) protecting and respecting privacy. Participants were asked to think aloud while performing the tasks, and screen activities and webcam recordings were captured. The qualitative observational data was coded using inductive analysis by two independent researchers. Correlational analyses were performed to test how usability relates to sociodemographics and digital health literacy. Results A total of 32 patients participated, with a mean age of 49.9 years and 84% (27/32) being female. All performance tasks except one (fill in a diary registration) could be completed independently by more than 50% of the participants. On operational, navigation, and search levels, participants struggled most with logging in, logging out, and finding specific parts of the intervention. Half of the sample experienced problems evaluating the relevance and adding content to the program to some extent. Usability correlated moderately negatively with age and moderately positively with digital health literacy skills but not with educational level. Conclusions The results provide insight into what is essential for proper usability regarding the design of an iCBT program considering variations in age, educational level, and digital health literacy. Furthermore, the results provide insight into what type of support is needed by patients to properly use the intervention. Tailoring support among the needs of certain age groups or skill levels could be beneficial and could range from no extra support (only online feedback, as intended) to practical support (an additional usability introduction session) to blended care (combined face-to-face sessions throughout the therapy).

scholarly journals Perceptions of Digital Health Education Among European Medical Students: Mixed Methods Survey (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Machleid ◽  
Robert Kaczmarczyk ◽  
Doreen Johann ◽  
Justinas Balčiūnas ◽  
Beatriz Atienza-Carbonell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Medical Studies ◽  
Health Technologies

BACKGROUND Digital health technologies hold promise to enhance patient-related outcomes, to support health care staff by reducing their workload, and to improve the coordination of care. As key users of digital health technologies, health care workers are crucial to enable a meaningful digital transformation of health care. Digital health literacy and digital skills should become prerequisite competencies for health professionals to facilitate the implementation and leverage the potential of digital technologies to improve health. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess European medical students’ perceived knowledge and opinions toward digital health, the status of digital health implementation in medical education, and the students’ most pressing needs. METHODS The explanatory design of our mixed methods study was based on an online, anonymous, self-administered survey targeted toward European medical students. A linear regression analysis was used to identify the influence of the year of medical studies on the responses. Additional analysis was performed by grouping the responses by the self-evaluated frequency of eHealth technology use. Written responses to four qualitative questions in the survey were analyzed using an inductive approach. RESULTS The survey received a total of 451 responses from 39 European countries, and there were respondents for every year of medical studies. The majority of respondents saw advantages in the use of digital health. While 40.6% (183/451) felt prepared to work in a digitized health care system, more than half (240/451, 53.2%) evaluated their eHealth skills as poor or very poor. Medical students considered lack of education to be the reason for this, with 84.9% (383/451) agreeing or strongly agreeing that more digital health education should be implemented in the medical curriculum. Students demanded introductory and specific eHealth courses covering data management, ethical aspects, legal frameworks, research and entrepreneurial opportunities, role in public health and health systems, communication skills, and practical training. The emphasis lay on tailoring learning to future job requirements and interprofessional education. CONCLUSIONS This study shows a lack of digital health-related formats in medical education and a perceived lack of digital health literacy among European medical students. Our findings indicate a gap between the willingness of medical students to take an active role by becoming key players in the digital transformation of health care and the education that they receive through their faculties.

Health Literacy From a Pediatrician's Perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 308-330
Author(s):  
Nazan Sarper
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Fundamental Education ◽  
Training Activities

Health literacy describes individual's skills to understand and use the information on health issues, compliance to the prescribed therapeutic regimen, prevention of disease and accidents, filtering the information, and making good judgments to maintain a healthy life. Low school education and fundamental education and poverty are barriers to gain health literacy. If TV broadcasts are used optimally for training in health issues, they may reach many people. The density of the active physicians, nurses and midwives, national health coverage, and training activities of the civil associations for chronic disease contribute to health literacy. Controversy exists about the benefits and risks of social media and mass media to health literacy due to information pollution. Self-diagnosis and marketing of under-the-counter drugs are problems of the digital age. Some projects aiming to improve digital health literacy skills will help people to reach reliable health-related information. Communication skills of healthcare professionals are also important.

Fake News and Social Media about SARS-CoV-2: Insights from Peru (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldo Alvarez-Risco ◽  
Christian R. Mejia ◽  
Jaime Delgado-Zegarra ◽  
Shyla Del-Aguila-Arcentales ◽  
Arturo A. Arce-Esquivel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Control And Management ◽  
Inadequate Health Literacy ◽  
Selection Of

UNSTRUCTURED Fake news has become a common practice in recent years, which is facilitated by the overwhelming use of social media by the general public. This viewpoint paper aims to analyze a selection of fake news disseminated in Peru about SARS-CoV-2 and we propose specific strategies to deal with it. In the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the need for providing official and timely information is key in the control and management of the COVID-19 disease. However, health authorities are struggling not only with providing proper patients’ care, but also dealing with appropriate risk communication given the massive spread of misinformation and fake news. Inadequate health literacy and lack of digital health literacy skills might worsen the problem. There is an urgent need to build capacity in schools and promote trusted sources in Peru and to educate on digital health literacy to combat misinformation from social media venues.

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