DIGITAL HEALTH LITERACY AMONG PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

INTERNET ACCESS AND USAGE PATTERNS

Abstract

Objective: To analyze digital health literacy among Primary Health Care professionals by mapping internet access and usage patterns, describing the findings according to educational level and professional category, and discussing their implications in the contemporary context of health misinformation. Method: This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted with Primary Health Care professionals. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered through the REDCap® platform. Results: A total of 141 Primary Health Care professionals participated in the study, predominantly women (87.23%), White individuals (78.18%), and professionals affiliated with Family Health Teams (90,07%). Smartphones were the main devices used to access the internet (84.40%). Social media use (92.14%) and work-related activities (70%) were the most frequently reported purposes. On the eHEALS, higher mean scores were observed for using the internet to seek clarification about health-related issues (4.2±0.82) and for using information found online to help manage one’s own health (4.2±0.89). In contrast, relatively lower scores were observed for the perceived ability to evaluate online health resources (3.7±1.19) and for confidence in using such information to make health-related decisions (3.5±1.28). Professionals with higher education had numerically higher scores than those without higher education. Descriptive variations were observed across professional categories, with numerically higher mean scores among physicians and nurses. Conclusion: Despite the widespread use of the internet to access health information, relatively lower scores were observed in dimensions related to the appraisal of digital health resources and confidence in using internet-based information for decision-making. Professionals with higher education showed numerically higher scores across the assessed dimensions compared with other professional categories.