Digital health literacy – an evolving concept

Abstract

Digital technologies are changing our health system, health information and health communication, and digital health literacy is becoming increasingly important to ensure equitable access to health. Digital health literacy applies to all contexts of health and healthcare, such as health information seeking behavior, navigation of healthcare systems, and healthcare access. However, the concept of digital health literacy is constantly evolving due to continuous technological developments and their adoption in society and health system. One of the first to define ehealth were Norman and Skinner. Their concept is based on the concept of health literacy, to seek, understand, critically evaluate, and apply information. The talk will outline the development of the digital health literacy concept since Norman and Skinners’ definition in 2006 to the current understanding of digital health literacy in 2023. The technological changes and the increasingly digitalized societies have led not only to an expansion, but also higher specificity of the literacies embedded in the digital health literacy concept. Aim of the talk is to raise the understanding for the complexity and the relevance of digital health literacy in children and adolescents by exemplifying digital health literacy in the context of child and adolescent lives and health needs. The concept, however, is not without critique, which will be addressed and discussed with the audience.