Digital health literacy is associated with health outcomes in cardiovascular disease
A review found associations with health behaviours and quality of life, alongside large differences between studies and low confidence in the evidence.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Higher digital health literacy was associated with more favourable health behaviours, quality of life and use of digital health technologies. These links do not establish that improving literacy causes better health. Results varied substantially between studies, limiting how well a pooled average describes any particular cardiovascular patient population.
The abstract does not provide the literacy scale's range or explain its scores. Evidence certainty was low to very low, with large differences between studies; associations cannot establish cause and effect.
Who tended to score lower
Lower digital health literacy was associated with older age, less education, female sex, limited social support and less technology experience. These patterns describe associations within the evidence, without determining why an individual has difficulty.
Subgroup results remained uncertain
Despite the reported link with older age, subgroup analyses found no statistically significant differences by age group, region or disease type. These are different comparisons, and the nonsignificant results do not show that groups are equivalent.
The original publication
Determinants and Health Outcomes of Digital Health Literacy in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Kim EJ, Kim DY, Kim HJ et al.
J Med Internet Res · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41874540
- Record checked
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