e-Health Literacy Skills in People with Chronic Diseases and What Do the Measurements Tell Us: A Scoping Review.

Background

Use of electronic health (e-Health) technologies has increased in the past decade and inadequate e-Health literacy may lead to health-related social inequality. This is especially true for patients living with chronic diseases who are often involved in self-care. However, the measurement of e-Health literacy represents several challenges. Among available instruments, the e-Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS) is the only instrument with available psychometric properties. Aim: To identify studies measuring e-Health literacy in adults living with chronic disease and its relationship to health-related behaviors and other perceptions such as quality of life, self-efficacy, or specific disease biomarkers, and studies analyzing the impact of educational intervention on e-Health literacy.

Methods

The authors searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to identify studies published in English language until April 2022.

Results

Seventeen studies involving 4,877 participants were included. A majority of the studies were cross-sectional with a lack of appropriate controls. Five of the included studies were experimental, involving 758 participants. All of them reported positive effects of educational interventions on the improvements in self-reported e-Health literacy skills. However, most studies were at risk of bias.

Conclusion

Despite these limitations, the findings of this review indicate the positive relationship between e-Health literacy and various health care processes in adults with chronic diseases and highlights a need for prospective controlled studies. Promoting e-Health literacy might give better opportunities for the active involvement of people with chronic diseases in self-care and for the implementation of online interventions into existing system of care.