scholarly journals Assessing Competencies Needed to Engage With Digital Health Services: Development of the eHealth Literacy Assessment Toolkit (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Karnoe ◽  
Dorthe Furstrand ◽  
Karl Bang Christensen ◽  
Ole Norgaard ◽  
Lars Kayser
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Log Linear

BACKGROUND To achieve full potential in user-oriented eHealth projects, we need to ensure a match between the eHealth technology and the user’s eHealth literacy, described as knowledge and skills. However, there is a lack of multifaceted eHealth literacy assessment tools suitable for screening purposes. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to develop and validate an eHealth literacy assessment toolkit (eHLA) that assesses individuals’ health literacy and digital literacy using a mix of existing and newly developed scales. METHODS From 2011 to 2015, scales were continuously tested and developed in an iterative process, which led to 7 tools being included in the validation study. The eHLA validation version consisted of 4 health-related tools (tool 1: “functional health literacy,” tool 2: “health literacy self-assessment,” tool 3: “familiarity with health and health care,” and tool 4: “knowledge of health and disease”) and 3 digitally-related tools (tool 5: “technology familiarity,” tool 6: “technology confidence,” and tool 7: “incentives for engaging with technology”) that were tested in 475 respondents from a general population sample and an outpatient clinic. Statistical analyses examined floor and ceiling effects, interitem correlations, item-total correlations, and Cronbach coefficient alpha (CCA). Rasch models (RM) examined the fit of data. Tools were reduced in items to secure robust tools fit for screening purposes. Reductions were made based on psychometrics, face validity, and content validity. RESULTS Tool 1 was not reduced in items; it consequently consists of 10 items. The overall fit to the RM was acceptable (Anderson conditional likelihood ratio, CLR=10.8; df=9; P=.29), and CCA was .67. Tool 2 was reduced from 20 to 9 items. The overall fit to a log-linear RM was acceptable (Anderson CLR=78.4, df=45, P=.002), and CCA was .85. Tool 3 was reduced from 23 to 5 items. The final version showed excellent fit to a log-linear RM (Anderson CLR=47.7, df=40, P=.19), and CCA was .90. Tool 4 was reduced from 12 to 6 items. The fit to a log-linear RM was acceptable (Anderson CLR=42.1, df=18, P=.001), and CCA was .59. Tool 5 was reduced from 20 to 6 items. The fit to the RM was acceptable (Anderson CLR=30.3, df=17, P=.02), and CCA was .94. Tool 6 was reduced from 5 to 4 items. The fit to a log-linear RM taking local dependency (LD) into account was acceptable (Anderson CLR=26.1, df=21, P=.20), and CCA was .91. Tool 7 was reduced from 6 to 4 items. The fit to a log-linear RM taking LD and differential item functioning into account was acceptable (Anderson CLR=23.0, df=29, P=.78), and CCA was .90. CONCLUSIONS The eHLA consists of 7 short, robust scales that assess individual’s knowledge and skills related to digital literacy and health literacy.

scholarly journals Psychometric properties of an Arabic-language health literacy assessment scale for adolescents (HAS-A-AR) in Palestine

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e034943
Author(s):  
Mohammed B A Sarhan ◽  
Harry S Shannon ◽  
Rika Fujiya ◽  
Masamine Jimba ◽  
Rita Giacaman
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Assessment Scale ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Functional Health Literacy ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Cronbach’S Alpha ◽  
Cronbach's Alpha

ObjectivesHealth literacy research in Palestine is limited, and a locally validated tool for use among adolescents has been unavailable until now. Therefore, this study aimed to adapt health literacy assessment scale for adolescents (HAS-A) into Arabic language (HAS-A-AR) and Palestinian context and to investigate its psychometric properties.DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional household survey using a stratified random sample and household face-to-face interviews.Setting and participantsWe conducted 1200 interviews with sixth to ninth graders in the Ramallah and al-Bireh district of the West Bank, Palestine in 2017.MethodsWe translated and adapted HAS-A to be sensitive to the Palestinian context and tested its psychometric properties. We evaluated face and content validity during the back-translation process and checked for construct validity through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). We tested for internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha, MacDonald’s omega test and the greatest lower bound (GLB). Furthermore, we calculated the scale’s average inter-item correlation.ResultsEFA revealed that HAS-A-AR has a similar structure to the original HAS-A. It extracted three factors (communication, confusion and functional health literacy) whose eigenvalues were >1. Together they explained 57% of the total variance. The proportions of adolescents with high levels of communication, confusion and functional health literacy were 45%, 68% and 80%, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha, MacDonald’s omega and the GLB values for communication subscale were 0.87, 0.88 and 0.90, and they were 0.78, 0.77 and 0.79 for confusion subscale, while they were 0.77, 0.77 and 0.80, respectively, for functional healthy literacy subscale. The average inter-item correlation for the subscales ranged between 0.36 and 0.59.ConclusionHAS-A-AR is a valid and reliable health literacy measuring instrument with appropriate psychometric properties. HAS-A-AR is currently available for use among adolescents in Palestine and the surrounding Arab countries with similar characteristics as Palestine, including language, culture and political instability.

scholarly journals Comprehension of the education handout and health literacy of pacemaker users

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackelline Evellin Moreira dos Santos ◽  
Virginia Visconde Brasil ◽  
Katarinne Lima Moraes ◽  
Jacqueline Andréia Bernardes Leão Cordeiro ◽  
Gabriela Ferreira de Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Cardiac Pacemaker ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Functional Health Literacy ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Cross Sectional

ABSTRACT Objective: To verify the comprehension of the education handout and the level of Functional Health Literacy of individuals with cardiac pacemaker (PM) and whether there is correlation between the comprehension and Functional Health Literacy (FHL). Method: Cross-sectional study with 63 individuals with PM who answered to comprehension tests of the handout, literacy assessment (SAHLPA-50) and cognition (MMSE). Measurements of dispersion, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression were calculated. Results: Most women, study time ≤ 9 years, 66.21 (average age) presented no cognitive changes. An adequate literacy level was evidenced in 50.8% individuals with PM and satisfactory comprehension of the handout. No correlation was identified between FHL, handout comprehension, age, years of study and cognition. Conclusion: The handout comprehension assessed by individuals with appropriate FHL indicated that it can be a printed material suitable for use, aiming to improve care process and knowledge of individuals with PM.

scholarly journals Validation of three Arabic health literacy assessment tools in Lebanon

2016 ◽  
pp. daw079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Fadda ◽  
Mayada Kanj ◽  
Tamar Kabakian-Khasholian ◽  
Peter Johannes Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Literacy Assessment

Health Literacy Rates in a Population of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Southwestern Ontario

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 1610-1615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaowei Gong ◽  
Sara L. Haig ◽  
Janet E. Pope ◽  
Sherry Rohekar ◽  
Gina Rohekar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Adult Literacy ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Low Health Literacy

Objective.To determine the rate of low health literacy in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population in southwestern Ontario.Methods.For the study, 432 patients with RA were contacted, and 311 completed the assessment. The health literacy levels of the participants were estimated using 4 assessment tools administered in the following order: the Single Item Literacy Screener (SILS), the Medical Term Recognition Test (METER), the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM), and the Shortened Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (STOFHLA).Results.The rates of low literacy as estimated by STOFHLA, REALM, METER, and SILS were 14.5%, 14.8%, 14.1%, and 18.6%, respectively. All 4 assessment tools were statistically significantly correlated. STOFHLA, REALM, and METER were strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.59–0.79), while SILS only demonstrated moderate correlations with the other assessment tools (r = 0.33–0.45). Multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression analyses revealed that low levels of education and a lack of daily reading activity were common predictors of low health literacy. Using a non-English primary language at home was found to be a strong predictor of low health literacy in STOFHLA, REALM, and METER. Male sex was found to be a significant predictor of poor performance in REALM and METER, but not STOFHLA.Conclusion.Low health literacy is an important issue in the southwestern Ontario RA population. About 1 in 7 patients with RA may not have the necessary skills to become involved in making decisions regarding their personal health. Rheumatologists should be aware of the low health literacy levels of patients with RA and should consider identifying patients at risk of low health literacy.

Contrast of Digital and Health Literacy Between IT and Health Care Specialists Highlights the Importance of Multidisciplinary Teams for Digital Health—A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 734-745
Author(s):  
André Pfob ◽  
Chris Sidey-Gibbons ◽  
Maximilian Schuessler ◽  
Sheng-Chieh Lu ◽  
Cai Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Career Stage ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
It Department

PURPOSE Despite their promises, digital innovations have scarcely translated to technologies used in routine clinical practice, making the identification of barriers to successful implementation a research priority. Low levels of transdisciplinary skills represent such a barrier but so far, this has not been evaluated and compared between information technology (IT) and health care specialists. In this study, we evaluated the level of digital health literacy among IT and health care specialists. MATERIALS AND METHODS An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to staff at a breast cancer unit and an IT department of two German universities in December 2020. The survey questionnaire consisted of the previously validated eHealth Literacy Assessment Toolkit and additional questions with respect to age, profession, and career stage. Mann-Whitney or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and two-sample chi-square tests were used for the analysis. RESULTS The survey was completed by 113 individuals: 70 (61.9%) IT specialists and 43 (38.1%) health care specialists. Health care specialists scored significantly higher on the health-related scales and IT specialists scored significantly higher on the digitally related scales. No single participant identified themselves to have the highest level of literacy on all survey questions (n = 0 of 113; 0%). Only one person (n = 1 of 113; 0.9%) consistently reported a high or the highest level of literacy. CONCLUSION Although IT and health care specialists showed great literacy in their respective disciplines, only few individuals combined both digital and health care literacy. Multidisciplinary teams and transdisciplinary curricula are crucial to bridge skill gaps between disciplines and to drive the implementation of digital health initiatives.

scholarly journals Validation of a Single Question Health Literacy Screening Tool for Older Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 233372141771309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikki Keene Woods ◽  
Amy K. Chesser
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Sample Age

Objectives: Health Literacy skills are important for people of all ages. Older adults have the lowest health literacy rates. The purpose of this study was to assess health literacy rates and validate the use of a screening tool with older adults. Methods: Participants included a convenience sample, age 65 years or older, English speaking with corrected vision of 20/100 or better and typical cognitive skills. Participants completed the 36-item Short Test of Functional Health Literacy Assessment (STOFHLA) and a single item screening (SIS) tool. Results of STOFHLA and SIS were compared using nonparametric statistics. Results: Of the 64 participants, 94% had adequate scores on the STOFHLA, while 64% self-reported confidence in filling out medical forms, p = .006, χ2 = 7.606, df(1). Conclusion: Results suggest that use of health literacy screening tools for older adults may be of value. Additional studies are needed to expand the study sample and validate the findings of this study.

scholarly journals How is eHealth literacy measured and what do the measurements tell us? A systematic review

2015 ◽  
pp. 576-600 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Cancer Screenings ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
The One

The increasing use of digital services and technologies in health care calls for effective tools to evaluate the users’ eHealth literacy in order to better understand the users’ interaction with health technologies. We here present a systematic review of existing tools to measure eHealth literacy and for what these tools have been used to investigate. We identified eight tools, of which three of them are bases upon a conceptual model of eHealth literacy and the remaining five are dual tools, i.a. comprised of individual measures for health literacy and digital literacy. Of these eight tools, only one tool (The eHealth literacy Scale - eHEALS) was used in other studies than the one it was originally published in. eHEALS has primarily been used to establish eHealth literacy levels in different populations. Five of the studies have been conducted by examining eHealth literacy’s impact on health outcomes, and one study has established an association between high eHealth literacy levels and increased likelihood of attending colorectal cancer screenings in a Japanese population. The two other concept-based tools, eHLS and PRE-HIT, reflect an elaborated understanding of eHealth literacy. The five dual tools were primarily used to screen for adequate and inadequate health literacy and digital literacy. In conclusion, there is very little knowledge about individuals’ eHealth literacy and how it relates to health outcomes or the clinical course of specific diseases. New tools developed for the new age of social media and new technologies should be used as eHEALS may have some limitations.

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