E-Health Literacy and Factors Affecting it in Patients Admitted to a University Hospital in Iran

Background: Rapid ICT advancements have affected all aspects of life, and healthcare is no exception. Given the significance of E-Health literacy in the current century and its effect on society and the healthcare system, it seems necessary for patients to have adequate health literacy. However, the lack of essential health literacy leads to the low self-management of diseases. Objective: This study aimed to investigate E-Health literacy and factors affecting it in patients admitted to a University hospital in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Imam Khomeini University Hospital of Urmia, Iran, in 2019. Data were collected using the Persian version of the E-Health Literacy Questionnaire filled by patients. Participants were selected using simple random sampling. Personal and demographic variables were also collected, and their correlation with E-Health literacy was investigated. The Independent-samples t-test and ANOVA were used to compare different groups. Results: In this study, 200 patients (103 males and 97 females) (t/f = 41.916), (p=0.000) participated. The mean score of E-Health literacy in patients under study was 25.51 (standard deviation=5.098) which was low and unsatisfactory. Findings suggest that over half of participants were unable to identify and evaluate the quality of online health resources and over half of participants in this study trust online information although they fail to differentiate high quality resources from low quality ones. Conclusion: Identifying and assessing E-Health literacy of patients is an effective step in improving their health literacy. Findings suggest that these patients need to improve and develop their knowledge of E-Health.