I was asked recently how we determine if a person/patient has a reasonable level of digital literacy so that they are capable of accessing/following a digital care plan. Here’s how - we ask two simple questions
do you have an email address?
do you use the Internet to do online banking, shopping or do google searches?
Thanks Susan! I’m sure you had a third question as well. That just seems too easy.
I do note that the first question is a bit vague - folk might answer with a relative’s address. We really want to know if they have their own personal email address, eh?
In your experience, what proportion of folk answer with yes/yes, yes/no, no/yes, and no/no?
It is easy and done in person at Outpatients as a precursor to registering them on our platform. The person enters their own email address unless they state that it is another person’s email (often a family member they live with). In the UK over 80% had an email address they accessed regularly and used Internet for banking and shopping with an average age of 67 years old.
The only issue i ever see is where children or care givers are involved, a child would not have their own, so it would be their parents email and can cause issues with portals etc where it is already in use for the parents account. Patients dont want to have to manage multiple household accounts, the systems need to be able to manage multiple accounts in one access.
I guess in the ideal world, an email account would be provided for a person when they are issued an NHI, this way it can be used across all healthcare.
Although this would then require another level of IT management on the national level to ensure that the account isnt abused.
You are right Ben. This is why we do not use the email address as a username or identifier. Email address is one indicator that they can use the Internet and can probably communicate digitally.
I had a look at ehealth literacy for elderly - there is a great study done in Europe with this in mind - could be helpful?
They try to enable the older generations to make the most of all the digital health opportunities available to them.