Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Jan 21, 2022
Date Accepted: Aug 15, 2022
Comparing Transactional eHealth Literacy of Individuals with Cancer and Surrogate Information Seekers: A Mixed Methods Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Cancer patients and their caregivers use the Internet to learn about cancer but differences in their skills and strategies have received little empirical attention.
Objective:
This study examines the eHealth literacy of patients and caregivers, including an investigation about how each group evaluates online cancer information.
Methods:
Between October 2019 and January 2020, we conducted an online survey with 282 cancer patients and caregivers. We used hierarchical linear regression analyses to explore differences in functional, communicative, critical, and translational eHealth literacies between patients and caregivers. We also conducted a thematic content analysis of an open-ended survey response to examine how each group evaluates online cancer information.
Results:
eHealth literacy scores did not differ between cancer patients and caregivers, even after adjusting for socio-demographic variables. Patients and caregivers considered the credibility of online cancer information based on its channel (e.g., National Institutes of Health). However, in evaluating online information, caregivers were more likely than patients to consider the presence and quality of scientific references supporting the information. Patients were more likely than caregivers to cross-reference other websites and online sources to establish consensus.
Conclusions:
Online cancer information accessibility and evaluation procedures are different among cancer patients and caregivers of patients with cancer and should be considered in future efforts to design online cancer education.
Citation
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.