The guided use of an e-health tool to strengthen health literacy. A pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in Brussels
Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether the use of an e-health tool, guided by a healthcare provider, can improve health literacy (HL) in primary care. Methods: We set up a longitudinal prospective cohort study in a primary care clinic in Brussels. Diabetes patients were invited to participate i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | PEC Innovation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772628222000413 |
| _version_ | 1811201470444339200 |
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| author | Lien Mertens Harrie Dewitte Lieve Seuntjens Rita Vanobberghen Bert Aertgeerts |
| author_facet | Lien Mertens Harrie Dewitte Lieve Seuntjens Rita Vanobberghen Bert Aertgeerts |
| author_sort | Lien Mertens |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether the use of an e-health tool, guided by a healthcare provider, can improve health literacy (HL) in primary care. Methods: We set up a longitudinal prospective cohort study in a primary care clinic in Brussels. Diabetes patients were invited to participate in two study consultations with a trained healthcare provider, in which an e-health tool was introduced. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) was used to evaluate HL before (n = 59) and after intervention (n = 41). The data were analysed within SPSS, Version 26. Additionally, impressions and experiences of both patients and healthcare providers were collected throughout the different phases of the study. Results: Patients feel significantly stronger in finding good health information after intervention (p = 0.041), with relatively stronger progress for the subgroup with weaker digital skills (p = 0.029). Participants also declare understanding health information better after intervention (p = 0.050). Specifically, the lower educated participants feel reinforced to correctly evaluate and assess health information and come closer to the skill level of the higher educated patients after intervention. The relationship with the healthcare provider was also more markedly enhanced within the group of the lower educated (p = 0.008; difference between higher and lower educated), which could strengthen self-management in the long run. Conclusions: The guided use of an e-health tool in primary care strengthens various patient HL skills. Most particularly the skills “the ability to find good health information” and “understand health information well enough to know what to do” are reinforced. Moreover, patient populations with lower HL, such as the lower educated and lower digitally skilled, show a greater learning potential. Innovation: Our results offer further proof for the learnable and flexible nature of HL, and show that even a small e-health intervention, in a very diverse patient population, can produce significant, positive effects on HL. These results need to be considered as promising, and a motivation for further investments in more widely accessible e-health tools to further improve HL at population level and to bridge health differences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:22:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3a00451326614f8dbaba78de8dc41c94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2772-6282 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:22:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PEC Innovation |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a00451326614f8dbaba78de8dc41c942022-12-22T03:52:06ZengElsevierPEC Innovation2772-62822022-12-011100056The guided use of an e-health tool to strengthen health literacy. A pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in BrusselsLien Mertens0Harrie Dewitte1Lieve Seuntjens2Rita Vanobberghen3Bert Aertgeerts4Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Leuven (KULeuven), Belgium; Corresponding author at: Kapucijnenvoer 33 blok J, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Leuven (KULeuven), BelgiumDepartment of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Antwerp (UAntwerpen), BelgiumDepartment of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), BelgiumDepartment of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Leuven (KULeuven), BelgiumObjectives: We aimed to investigate whether the use of an e-health tool, guided by a healthcare provider, can improve health literacy (HL) in primary care. Methods: We set up a longitudinal prospective cohort study in a primary care clinic in Brussels. Diabetes patients were invited to participate in two study consultations with a trained healthcare provider, in which an e-health tool was introduced. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) was used to evaluate HL before (n = 59) and after intervention (n = 41). The data were analysed within SPSS, Version 26. Additionally, impressions and experiences of both patients and healthcare providers were collected throughout the different phases of the study. Results: Patients feel significantly stronger in finding good health information after intervention (p = 0.041), with relatively stronger progress for the subgroup with weaker digital skills (p = 0.029). Participants also declare understanding health information better after intervention (p = 0.050). Specifically, the lower educated participants feel reinforced to correctly evaluate and assess health information and come closer to the skill level of the higher educated patients after intervention. The relationship with the healthcare provider was also more markedly enhanced within the group of the lower educated (p = 0.008; difference between higher and lower educated), which could strengthen self-management in the long run. Conclusions: The guided use of an e-health tool in primary care strengthens various patient HL skills. Most particularly the skills “the ability to find good health information” and “understand health information well enough to know what to do” are reinforced. Moreover, patient populations with lower HL, such as the lower educated and lower digitally skilled, show a greater learning potential. Innovation: Our results offer further proof for the learnable and flexible nature of HL, and show that even a small e-health intervention, in a very diverse patient population, can produce significant, positive effects on HL. These results need to be considered as promising, and a motivation for further investments in more widely accessible e-health tools to further improve HL at population level and to bridge health differences.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772628222000413Health literacyApplicationHealth educationHealth promotione-healthSelf-management |
| spellingShingle | Lien Mertens Harrie Dewitte Lieve Seuntjens Rita Vanobberghen Bert Aertgeerts The guided use of an e-health tool to strengthen health literacy. A pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in Brussels PEC Innovation Health literacy Application Health education Health promotion e-health Self-management |
| title | The guided use of an e-health tool to strengthen health literacy. A pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in Brussels |
| title_full | The guided use of an e-health tool to strengthen health literacy. A pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in Brussels |
| title_fullStr | The guided use of an e-health tool to strengthen health literacy. A pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in Brussels |
| title_full_unstemmed | The guided use of an e-health tool to strengthen health literacy. A pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in Brussels |
| title_short | The guided use of an e-health tool to strengthen health literacy. A pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in Brussels |
| title_sort | guided use of an e health tool to strengthen health literacy a pilot study in a multicultural diabetes population in a primary care clinic in brussels |
| topic | Health literacy Application Health education Health promotion e-health Self-management |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772628222000413 |
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