e-Health Literacy in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients: A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the level of electronic health literacy (e-HL) among maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and identify its influencing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to October 2024, involving 350 MHD patients from three tertiary hospitals in Baoding, Hebei Province, China. The e-Health Literacy Scale (e-HEALS) was used to assess the patients’ e-HL levels across its three domains: application ability, judgement ability, and decision-making ability. Univariate analysis and generalized linear regression models were employed to analyze the factors influencing e-HEALS scores. The Cronbach’s α for the e-HEALS in this study was 0.966. Results: The results revealed that the average e-HEALS score among MHD patients was 29.58 ± 4.87, indicating a moderate to low level of e-HL. Generalized linear regression analysis identified education level, monthly income, and medical payment methods as independent influencing factors of e-HL. Conclusion: The findings suggest that MHD patients generally exhibit sub-optimal e-HL, highlighting the need for healthcare providers, particularly nephrology professionals, to pay attention to this issue. Targeted interventions should be developed to enhance e-HL, thereby empowering patients to better manage their health conditions.