The Digital Divide in Health Literacy
The past few decades have seen an exponential growth in digital technologies. Now, digital media pervades all aspects of daily life: work, shopping, fitness, transportation, and leisure. Digital media is also pervading the health space, where transcending innovations are working to provide public and individual health solutions.
With this boom in digital health tools, digital health literacy becomes increasingly important. The Transactional Model of eHealth Literacy outlines four competence levels of digital health literacy:
1. functional: ability to read and write about health using technological devices successfully
2. communicative: ability to socially speak and collaborate about health with others digitally
3. critical: ability to be aware of the risks of sharing and receiving health information through online and digital formats
4. translational: the ability to apply health information from online and digital spaces in different contexts
The pandemic has revealed the power of digital media and has shown that bridging the digital divide is of utmost importance. It is no longer a thing of luxury, but of necessity, especially as levels of digital media use continue to increase. A recent PEW survey found that though 96% of people ages 18 to 29 own a smartphone compared with 61% of those 65 and older, this gap has decreased from 53 points in 2012. The very same survey also showed that 95% of those ages 30 to 49 reported owning a smartphone in 2021 and 83% of those 50 to 64 said the same.
With this growing use, in tandem with the rapid progress of digital health today, digital health literacy in older adults is important to gauge, particularly as medical treatment, pension, and health management — amongst other aspects — transition to a digital space. A 2021 study found that health-related internet use among adults increased with age until about age 38, decreased until 71, and increased again after 71 years. The study also showed that those with higher digital health literacy and greater access to technology devices were more likely to use the internet for health information. Another study among community-dwelling older adults found that on a scale of 15 to 74, the mean score of digital health literacy of participants was 37.10. How can we equalize this digital health literacy divide?
The first recourse of action is education. Teaching digital health literacy to those who need to improve theirs is of course the primary route. As a result of the pandemic, many government and private organizations have been actively striving to reach and teach isolated older adults about technology and digital health resources. For instance, New York City began distributing free internet-connected tablets to its older residents, along with a year of technology and digital literacy training. Libraries and research programs, at the local and national level, work with visitors to impart digital health training. The public infrastructure is certainly vital for such education.
Yet teaching both digital skills and health literacy is a challenge, especially to those who do not have knowledge of either. With digital health technology taking over the world bridging this gap is a priority. But what are the next steps in doing so?
With medical treatment and management adopting digital health tools, it is vital that these technologies are easy-to-use while also empowering patients and increasing their ability to interpret health information and make decisions. For example, Somatix’s SafeBeing™, a wearable device that provides unique health insights such as hydration and activity levels, employs a user-friendly interface to give both providers and patients valuable health information by translating sensor data into alerts passively. Such simpler interfaces, which still impart crucial information about health, are paramount when it comes to improving digital health literacy, especially for elders.
Digital access has now become one of the primary ways we communicate and live, and we have to ensure that everyone is included in this revolution.
