ELECTRONIC HEALTH LITERACY AMONG LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE PATIENTS IN THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAFETY NET HEALTH SYSTEM

Background: Electronic health (eHealth) literacy may affect telehealth uptake, yet few studies have evaluated eHealth literacy in underserved populations. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe technology access and use patterns as well as eHealth literacy levels among English-speaking and LEP patients in a Los Angeles safety net health system. Methods: Patients, aged >= 8 years with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension, and their caregivers were recruited from three primary care safety-net clinics in Los Angeles County (California) between June - July 2017. Participants' electronic health literacy was assessed by the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS); participants were also asked about technology access and use. We examined these measures in English-speaking and limited English proficient (LEP) Spanish-speaking patients. Results: A total of 71 participants (62 patients and 9 caregivers) completed the questionnaire. The mean age of the respondents was 56 years old. More than half of participants used a phone that could connect to the Internet (67%). The mean score for 10 eHEALS items was in the moderate range (26/50 points). There was no difference in mean eHEALS between language groups. However, 47% of Spanish-speaking participants agreed/strongly agreed that they knew how to use the Internet to answer their health questions, compared to 68% of English-speaking participants (P<.05). Conclusions: In this sample of patients from a diverse safety net population, perceived skills and confidence in engaging with electronic health systems were low, particularly among LEP Spanish-speakers, despite moderate levels of electronic health

Automated summary

This study investigated technology access, use patterns, and eHealth literacy levels among English-speaking and limited English proficient (LEP) patients in a safety net health system in Los Angeles. The findings showed that participants had low perceived skills and confidence in engaging with electronic health systems, particularly LEP Spanish-speakers.