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eHealth Literacy of Australian Undergraduate Health Profession Students: A Descriptive Study

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  • Carey Ann Mather

    (Institute of Health Service Management, College of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania, Launceston 7250, Australia)

  • Christina Cheng

    (Centre for Global Health and Equity, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn 3122, Australia)

  • Tracy Douglas

    (School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston 7250, Australia)

  • Gerald Elsworth

    (Centre for Global Health and Equity, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn 3122, Australia)

  • Richard Osborne

    (Centre for Global Health and Equity, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn 3122, Australia)

Abstract

Rapid growth in digital health technologies has increased demand for eHealth literacy of all stakeholders within health and social care environments. The digital future of health care services requires the next generation of health professionals to be well-prepared to confidently provide high-quality and safe health care. The aim of this study was to explore the eHealth literacy of undergraduate health profession students to inform undergraduate curriculum development to promote work-readiness. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken at an Australian university using the seven-domain eHealth Literacy Questionnaire (eHLQ), with 610 students participating. A one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) with follow-up univariate analysis (ANOVA) was used to determine if there were differences in eHLQ scores across 11 sociodemographic variables. Students generally had good knowledge of health (Scale 2); however, they had concerns over the security of online health data (Scale 4). There were also significant differences in age and ownership of digital devices. Students who were younger reported higher scores across all seven eHLQ scales than older students. This research provided an understanding of eHealth literacy of health profession students and revealed sub-groups that have lower eHealth literacy, suggesting that digital health skills should be integrated into university curriculums, especially related to practice-based digital applications with special focus to address privacy and security concerns. Preparation of health profession students so they can efficiently address their own needs, and the needs of others, is recommended to minimise the digital divide within health and social care environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Carey Ann Mather & Christina Cheng & Tracy Douglas & Gerald Elsworth & Richard Osborne, 2022. "eHealth Literacy of Australian Undergraduate Health Profession Students: A Descriptive Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-21, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:17:p:10751-:d:900706
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sisook Kim & Jaehee Jeon, 2020. "Factors influencing eHealth literacy among Korean nursing students: A cross‐sectional study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(3), pages 667-674, September.
    2. Anita Trezona & Gill Rowlands & Don Nutbeam, 2018. "Progress in Implementing National Policies and Strategies for Health Literacy—What Have We Learned so Far?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-17, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joy Agner & Katharine Elizabeth Bau & Dirk Bruland, 2024. "An Introduction to Health Literacy and Social Contexts with Recommendations for Health Professionals and Researchers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-14, February.

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