40% of people in Europe face digital literacy challenges
Digital literacy is defined as the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create and communicate information. This requires both technical skills to operate digital platforms, devices and apps, as well as cognitive skills to understand and analyze the information being created.
“About 40% of European citizens have problematic digital health literacy, meaning they cannot adequately use digital health technologies to address their health problems,” says Sarah Wamala Andersson, professor of health and wellness technology at Mälardalen University in Sweden and a digital research agency. leader in healthcare. Wamala Andersson was one of the researchers of the Improving Digital Empowerment for Active Healthy Living (IDEAL) EU project aimed at developing and testing new models and approaches for developing digital health literacy interventions.
What interventions do we need for better digital health literacy?
The result of the IDEAHL project is the EU Digital Health Literacy Strategy. The strategy defines concrete measures that are needed at micro, meso and macro levels. Key recommendations include the introduction of media literacy and information acquisition topics into primary education curricula at the micro level. These types of micro-level programs should translate strategies into action. In addition to promoting digital health literacy in primary education, collaboration between families, schools and other educational institutions is encouraged. At the macro level, each country should create a centralized platform that is scientifically endorsed by the competent authority in each country to ensure that people have access to reliable and comprehensive healthcare resources, including informative articles, videos, interactive tools and forums for discussion and community support.
Digital health literacy is a determining factor for health
In Europe, digital transformation in healthcare is lagging behind compared to other sectors. According to WHOOnly one in two countries in Europe and central Aisa have policies to improve digital health literacy, implying that several million people are being left behind. With the increasing use of technology for data collection, care coordination, telemedicine and more, it is essential to ensure that digital access – or lack thereof – does not widen the gap between the healthy and the sick.
“I can imagine that good health will be the most sought-after commodity for many people in the world, because AI and digital solutions make it possible to live with it and live healthier,” says Wamala Andersson. “Increasing digital health literacy will thus become a natural part of lifelong learning initiatives, with governments finding it inevitable and useful to design and invest in policies and interventions that improve citizens’ digital health literacy, promote healthcare professionals and decision makers. creators.”
Sarah Wamala Andersson will be one of the speakers at the HIMSS European Health Conference & Exhibition 2024, which will take place in Rome from 29 to 31 May 2024. More information and registration.