Digital Literacy and E-Health Engagement in Spain: Insights From a Survey to Individuals With Diabetes

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how well patients with diabetes can engage with the healthcare system using the existing digital tools, and to understand their preferences.

METHODS: A survey was conducted to a sample of 200 people with diabetes, during September 2023. The survey was administered via computer-assisted web interviewing by health professionals at 400 pharmacies across Spain. Results were stratified by respondent’s sex and age.

RESULTS: Three out of four surveyed individuals with diabetes were aged ≥60 years (73.0%). The survey included equal numbers of men and women, but the surveyed women were younger (34.0% aged <60 years versus 20.0% in men). General practitioners were the usual point-of-contact of patients for the management of their diabetes (77.5%). Despite the available digital tools, 63% of the surveyed individuals scheduled their doctor appointments in-person. Fewer than 1 in 5 people scheduled their appointments through a mobile app (17.0%), a percentage that varied between 25.0% in those aged <40 and 9.3% in those aged >70 years. Regarding the type of medical consultation, 68.5% had only face-to-face consultations with their doctor, 15.5% had only telephone consultations, 12.5% had both types, and 3.5% consulted with their doctors through other channels. Only 26.0% of those surveyed reported that they could easily handle technology (video-calls, mobile apps, and internet in general), a percentage that ranged between 87.5% in those aged <40 and 10.7% in those aged >70 years. Most patients relied on healthcare professionals to keep up to date on the news about diabetes, with 14.5% reporting the use of other sources, namely the internet (5.0%), leaflets from their healthcare center (2.5%), patients’ associations (2.0%), and others (5.0%).

CONCLUSIONS: Increasing digital literacy among people with diabetes is necessary for both the patients and healthcare system to fully benefit from the advancements in e-health engagement policies in Spain.