DIGITAL HEALTH LITERACY: A BOTTOM-UP CONCEPTUALISATION FOR MEANINGFUL PATIENT ENGAGEMENT IN THE BELGIAN DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM
Author(s)
Arthur Haerinck, Master1, Teodora Lalova-Spinks, PhD1, Sofie Bekaert, PhD2, Isabelle Huys, PharmD, PhD1.
1Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 2Ghent University, University of Ghent, Belgium.
1Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 2Ghent University, University of Ghent, Belgium.
OBJECTIVES: Digital health literacy is increasingly a prerequisite for meaningful patient participation in healthcare, yet it remains conceptually ambiguous and is commonly reduced to the intersection of digital skills and traditional health literacy. This simplified definition does not capture the barriers patients face in engaging meaningfully with their care. This study aimed to develop a more comprehensive, patient-centered conceptualization of digital health literacy.
METHODS: We synthesized evidence from a narrative literature review (2009 to 2024) with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the Belgian digital health ecosystem, including patient representatives, researchers, innovators, and policymakers. Adopting a bottom-up perspective, we identified and grouped the core elements of digital health literacy.
RESULTS: Drawing on 33 sources and interviews with 11 Belgian stakeholders, we grouped the key elements of digital health literacy into four domains: a basic understanding of healthy behavior; self-reliance and self-determination; the ability to process health information; and effective engagement with digital technologies. For each domain, we identified related challenges for patients and potential solutions.
CONCLUSIONS: While identifying individual competencies is necessary, we argue, on the basis of the literature and interviews, that the burden of attaining a given literacy level should not rest solely on the patient. This categorization offers an exploratory mapping of where difficulties may arise, giving developers and decision-makers the insights needed to create digital health services that accommodate varying literacy levels and mitigate systemic exclusion.
METHODS: We synthesized evidence from a narrative literature review (2009 to 2024) with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the Belgian digital health ecosystem, including patient representatives, researchers, innovators, and policymakers. Adopting a bottom-up perspective, we identified and grouped the core elements of digital health literacy.
RESULTS: Drawing on 33 sources and interviews with 11 Belgian stakeholders, we grouped the key elements of digital health literacy into four domains: a basic understanding of healthy behavior; self-reliance and self-determination; the ability to process health information; and effective engagement with digital technologies. For each domain, we identified related challenges for patients and potential solutions.
CONCLUSIONS: While identifying individual competencies is necessary, we argue, on the basis of the literature and interviews, that the burden of attaining a given literacy level should not rest solely on the patient. This categorization offers an exploratory mapping of where difficulties may arise, giving developers and decision-makers the insights needed to create digital health services that accommodate varying literacy levels and mitigate systemic exclusion.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
PCR262
Topic
Health Service Delivery & Process of Care, Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient Engagement
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas