Enhancing ehealth literacy through new information and communication technologies

Background: eHealth literacy is defined as ”the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic sources and apply the knowledge gained to addressing or solving a health problem.” Increasing access to internet health-related information by the global public has impacted the efficiency and delivery of health care services by influencing users' decisions to seek professional help, impacting on the provider's level of confidence, and modifying the patient-health provider relationship. Documented evidence reveals shortcomings in the quality of health-related information, largely resulting from incomplete, outdated, or confusing information.

Methods and outcomes: This project aims to illustrate the potential use of 'ShiftSpace' - a browser plugin for collaboratively annotating, editing and shifting the web, that allow information-users, health experts and information-providers to interact with the purpose of enhancing their eHealth literacy skills and improve the quality of health-related information available in the web. By invoking a new meta-layer above any health-related website users, experts and providers can access a number of tools that allow them to rate and comment on the usefulness and reliability of the information retrieved, interact with other users, health-experts and information-providers, obtain additional resources, and ultimately participate in a website review process.

Impact: Numerous initiatives have been designed in an attempt to address the quality of health-related information. Although, debate remains as to their validity and utility in addressing the user's needs and discriminating net-based health information. Design of information and communication technologies to improve the encounter between information-users, health experts and information-providers is essential to lower the burden of misinformation on the user's health and on health systems. Introduction of such technologies poses new challenges and at the same time presents vast opportunities in the development and delivery of quality health services.