A Literature Review on Digital Health Literacy

Abstract

With the digitalization in healthcare services, online information and mobile applications have begun to play a major role for users. All advanced digital technologies, including machines and tools, computers and smart phones that we use in every field today; It has brought great innovations to business life, production style and our daily life style, raised living standards and made daily life considerably easier. Especially digital health technologies and applications encourage healthier behaviors in individuals and help proactive management of a healthy lifestyle. Smart watches and wristbands are some of them. It can help users stay healthy and puts them in control of their health. In this sense, digital health technologies aim to ensure patient participation, such as promoting communication between healthcare providers and patients, increasing patients' compliance with treatment protocols and self-management of chronic diseases. The importance of developing digital health literacy has been recognized by many countries and researchers in recent years. Measurement tools developed on digital health literacy are still necessary to examine the effects of these skills at both individual and societal levels. The development of these skills seems to be possible only by increasing the level of digital health literacy of individuals. With increased awareness of the opportunities of digital health tools, it is important to acquire advanced skills in how to use information and communication technologies for health-related purposes. In this context, the literature on digital health literacy has been examined, the concept of digital health literacy has been extensively discussed, measurement tools and studies in this field have been examined, and suggestions have been made for the development of digital health literacy. In addition, this study aims to contribute to the creation of digital health literacy awareness in our country.

Keywords

• Digital Health
• Digital Health Literacy
• e-Health
• Health Technologies

Dijital Sağlık Okuryazarlığı Üzerine Bir Alanyazın İncelemesi

Öz

Sağlık hizmetlerindeki dijitalleşmeyle birlikte çevrimiçi bilgiler ve mobil uygulamalar kullanıcılar için önemli rol oynayama başladı. Bu yönde yapılan araştırmalar, insanların çevrimiçi bilgiyi kullanma konusundaki kendi algı becerilerinin aslında sağlıklarını ve sağlık hizmetlerinin kalitesini etkilediğini ve bu tür becerilerin eksikliğinin olumsuz sonuçlara yol açabileceğini göstermiştir. Kullanıcılar yüksek veya düşük kaliteli sağlık bilgilerini eleştirel olarak analiz etmek ve yerleşik teknoloji kullanımlarını sağlıklı davranışlarla dengelemek için daha donanımlı olmalıdır. Bu anlamda, son kullanıcının bir dizi dijital beceriye sahip olması ve ayrıca sağlıklarını geliştirmek için bilgileri anlaması hayati önem taşımaktadır. Dijital sağlık okuryazarlığını geliştirmenin önemi, son yıllarda birçok ülke ve araştırmacı tarafından da fark edilmiştir. Dijital sağlık okuryazarlığı üzerine geliştirilen ölçüm araçları, bu becerilerin etkilerini hem bireysel hem de toplumsal düzeyde incelemek için gerekliliğini korumaktadır. Bu becerilerin geliştirilmesi ancak bireylerin dijital sağlık okuryazarlığı seviyesinin arttırılması ile mümkün görünmektedir. Dijital sağlık araçlarının fırsatlarına ilişkin artan farkındalık ile sağlıkla ilgili amaçlara yönelik bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerinin nasıl kullanılacağı konusunda gelişmiş becerilerin elde edilmesi önemlidir. Bu kapsamda, dijital sağlık okuryazarlığına yönelik alanyazın incelenmiş olup dijital sağlık okuryazarlık kavramı geniş bir şekilde ele alınmış, bu alandaki ölçüm araçları ve yapılan çalışmalar incelenmiş, dijital sağlık okuryazarlığının geliştirilmesine yönelik önerilerde bulunulmuştur. Ayrıca bu çalışma ile ülkemizde dijital sağlık okuryazarlığı farkındalığının oluşturulmasına yönelik katkı sunması amaçlanmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dijital Sağlık
• Dijital Sağlık Okuryazarlığı
• e-Sağlık
• Sağlık Teknolojileri

Kaynakça

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