eHealth Literacy and Older Adults

Older adults with low health literacy are living to advanced ages, often with multiple chronic conditions. This review focuses on eHealth literacy, which 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.” Sixteen articles spanning a 10-year period were reviewed and examined for study design, intervention, and outcomes. Systemic changes in our societies are needed to decrease problems associated with low eHealth literacy. Fundamental training in computer literacy and health literacy is also needed. Integrating eHealth with adequate health literacy is key to people's ability to maintain their health, foster behavioral change, and utilize medical services effectively.