Qualitative study on the characteristics and dilemmas of eHealth literacy among family caregivers of breast cancer patients

Objective To explore the elements and dilemmas of eHealth literacy among family caregivers of breast cancer patients, providing a reference for improving their caregiving abilities. Methods From September to October 2023, a phenomenological research method was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 family caregivers of breast cancer patients in the Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery of a tertiary grade A hospital in Xi'an. Braun's thematic analysis method was used for data analysis. Results Two themes and six sub-themes were extracted. (1) Element characteristics: information acquisition ability, information discrimination ability, and information application ability. (2) Information dilemmas: information overload and chaos, difficulty in judging the authenticity and reliability of information, and obstacles in information application. Conclusion There are many problems in the eHealth literacy of family caregivers of breast cancer patients. Medical staff should have provided guidance on information acquisition, conducted training on information discrimination and application, addressed information overload and chaos, strengthened information supervision, improved the proficiency of using e-communication tools, and provided more professional guidance to enhance their eHealth literacy and reduce their information-related distress.