Healthcare Students’ Perceptions of Digital Resources for Patient Education

Background:   Digital healthcare literacy is important, since deficits are associated with health disparities. Health literacy involves the ability to find, understand, and utilize health information to support appropriate health decisions (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Millions use the internet daily to research health-related topics (Eltorai, Ghanian, Adams, Born & Daniels, 2014), especially those with chronic diseases (Rew, Saenz, & Walker, 2018). Unfortunately, the majority have difficulty understanding health information if it is unfamiliar or contains medical terms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Additional concerns include provision of incorrect information to patients as well as the readability level of some consumer patient education websites (Bedaiwi, Alfaraj, & Pines, 2018). Our learning activity asked graduate nursing students to analyze healthcare websites for readability, design, layout, cultural sensitivity, and appropriateness for a rural, low-health literacy population (the setting of our healthcare program).

Methods :   Demographic information and survey data was obtained from graduate nursing students to assess digital health literacy and perceptions of the role of digital resources in patient education prior to and after they analyzed healthcare websites for digital health literacy. The survey used was eHEALS: The eHealth Literacy Scale, with permission from Norman and Skinner (2006).

Results:   Data currently being collected; analyses and results will be shared at the time of presentation.

Tracy George, DNP, APRN-BC, CNE is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Francis Marion University. She has worked as a family nurse practitioner since 1999 in a variety of settings. Since 2012, she has taught undergraduate and graduate nursing courses. She has published and presented on the scholarship of teaching and learning, shared decision-making, and clinic nursing topics. Tracy has written several peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters.

Claire DeCristofaro, MD, is a family physician who has been teaching healthcare and psychology students for decades. Her research interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning, health equity, health literacy, technology in the classroom and clinical setting, as well as clinical topics such as pain management and controlled substance prescribing. She is a federal grant reviewer for SAMHSA and the NIH, and authors continuing education courses for APRNs.

Sarah Kershner, PhD joined Francis Marion University in Spring 2017 and serves as an Assistant Professor of Public Health and Chair of the Department of Healthcare Administration. Sarah received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from Clemson University, Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Carolina, and Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Health Promotion, Education and Behavior from the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health. Sarah’s interest areas include public health research, reproductive health/sexual health, contraceptive technologies, sexually transmitted infections and adolescent risky behaviors.