Digital Literacy and E-Health Engagement in Spain: Insights From a Survey to Individuals That Had Undergone an Organ Transplant

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how well patients that had undergone an organ transplant 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 that had undergone an organ transplantation, 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: Two out of four surveyed individuals that had undergone an organ transplant were aged ≤60 years (56.5%). The survey included a superior number of women than men (67% vs 33%), but the age distribution was similar. Specialists were the usual point-of-contact for condition management (71%). Despite the available digital tools, 62% of the surveyed individuals scheduled their doctor appointments in-person. Fewer than 1 in 5 people scheduled their appointments through a mobile app (14.0%), a percentage that varied between 29.0% in those aged <40 and 6% in those aged between 60 and 70 years old. Regarding the type of medical consultation, 71.5% had only face-to-face consultations with their doctor, 8% had only telephone consultations, 11% had both types, and 9.5% consulted with their doctors through other channels too. Only 39.0% of those surveyed reported that they could easily handle technology (video-calls, mobile apps, and internet in general), a percentage that ranged between 74.0% in those aged <40 and 5.0% in those aged >70 years. Most patients relied on healthcare professionals to keep up to date on the news about their condition, with 19% reporting the use of other sources, namely internet (6.5%), leaflets from their healthcare center (3.5%), patients’ associations (5.0%), and others (5.0%).

CONCLUSIONS: Increasing digital literacy among patients is necessary to fully benefit from the advancements in e-health engagement policies in Spain.