{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]],"date-time":"2026-05-08T03:19:40Z","timestamp":1778210380582,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":111,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,17]],"date-time":"2023-11-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1700179200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Digit. Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Digital communication tools have demonstrated significant potential to improve health literacy which ultimately leads to better health outcomes. In this article, we examine the power of digital communication tools such as mobile health apps, telemedicine and online health information resources to promote health and digital literacy. We outline evidence that digital tools facilitate patient education, self-management and empowerment possibilities. In addition, digital technology is optimising the potential for improved clinical decision-making, treatment options and communication among providers. We also explore the challenges and limitations associated with digital health literacy, including issues related to access, reliability and privacy. We propose leveraging digital communication tools is key to optimising engagement to enhance health literacy across demographics leading to transformation of healthcare delivery and driving better outcomes for all.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fdgth.2023.1264780","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,18]],"date-time":"2023-11-18T10:11:08Z","timestamp":1700302268000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":299,"title":["Improving health literacy using the power of digital communications to achieve better health outcomes for patients and practitioners"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Patrick J.","family":"Fitzpatrick","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","year":"2023"},{"key":"B2","year":"2023"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107829","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pec.2023.107829","article-title":"Health literacy interventions among patients with chronic diseases: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"114","author":"Shao","year":"2023","journal-title":"Patient Educ Couns"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-031-38176-8","article-title":"Evaluating the influence of health literacy and health-promoting COVID-19 protective behaviors on the spread of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic: a meta-analysis","author":"Yan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Adv Clin Exp Med"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1108\/OIR-10-2021-0532","article-title":"Essaying the design, development and validation processes of a new digital literacy scale","volume":"47","author":"Reddy","year":"2023","journal-title":"Online Inform Rev"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1027\/1016-9040\/a000350","article-title":"Association between health literacy, ehealth literacy, and health outcomes among patients with long-term conditions","volume":"24","author":"Neter","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur Psychol"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-022-08527-9","article-title":"Impact of low health literacy on patients\u2019 health outcomes: a multicenter cohort study","volume":"22","author":"Shahid","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21501319231156132","DOI":"10.1177\/21501319231156132","article-title":"Health literacy, health outcomes and equity: a trend analysis based on a population survey","volume":"14","author":"Keene Woods","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Prim Care Community Health"},{"key":"B9","first-page":"85","article-title":"Comparison of innovative communication approaches in nutrition to promote and improve health literacy","volume":"91","author":"Anderson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ulster Med J"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8173","DOI":"10.22605\/RRH8173","article-title":"My health, my language-multilingual video messages on health in Ireland","volume":"23","author":"Clifford","year":"2023","journal-title":"Rural Remote Health"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.6224\/JN.202304_70(2).01","article-title":"The role of nurses in bridging the health literacy gap: empowering patients in the post-pandemic era","volume":"70","author":"Kuo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Hu Li Za Zhi"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1111\/jpc.16297","article-title":"Impact of parental health literacy on the health outcomes of children with chronic disease globally: a systematic review","volume":"59","author":"Zaidman","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Paediatr Child Health"},{"key":"B13","year":"2021"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"223","DOI":"10.1186\/s12875-022-01809-5","article-title":"Patients\u2019 health literacy and health behaviour assessment in primary healthcare: evidence from a cross-sectional survey","volume":"23","author":"\u0160ulinskait\u0117","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Primary Care"},{"key":"B15","author":"Lopez","year":"2023"},{"key":"B16","year":"2006"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1112","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph16071112","article-title":"Health literacy studies conducted in Australia: a scoping review","volume":"16","author":"Choudhry","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"993","DOI":"10.1177\/1524839919837625","article-title":"Canadian Men\u2019s health literacy: a nationally representative study","volume":"21","author":"Oliffe","year":"2020","journal-title":"Health Promot Pract"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1016\/j.puhe.2018.09.028","article-title":"A systematic review of the prevalence of limited health literacy in southeast Asian countries","volume":"167","author":"Rajah","year":"2019","journal-title":"Public Health"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"729","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20010729","article-title":"Integrating social and family support as a measure of health outcomes: validity implications from the integrated model of health literacy","volume":"20","author":"Faiola","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"705","DOI":"10.1177\/0017896918770215","article-title":"Health education and health promotion revisited","volume":"78","author":"Nutbeam","year":"2019","journal-title":"Health Educ J"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4328","DOI":"10.1111\/bcp.14948","article-title":"Health literacy for children and families","volume":"88","author":"Vaillancourt","year":"2022","journal-title":"Br J Clin Pharmacol"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"406","DOI":"10.1080\/10810730.2014.977469","article-title":"An international comparison of the association among literacy, education, and health across the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, and Bermuda: implications for health disparities","volume":"20","author":"Yamashita","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Health Commun"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3010","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17093010","article-title":"Interdisciplinary perspectives on health literacy research around the world: more important than ever in a time of COVID-19","volume":"17","author":"Sentell","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-publhealth-090419-102529","article-title":"Understanding and responding to health literacy as a social determinant of health","volume":"42","author":"Nutbeam","year":"2021","journal-title":"Annu Rev Public Health"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e43342","DOI":"10.2196\/43342","article-title":"Assessing Patients\u2019 critical health literacy and identifying associated factors: cross-sectional study","volume":"25","author":"Shan","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"B27","year":"2021"},{"key":"B28","year":"2022"},{"key":"B29","year":"2023"},{"key":"B30","year":"2023"},{"key":"B31","year":"2023"},{"key":"B32","year":"2023"},{"key":"B33","year":"2023"},{"key":"B34","year":"2023"},{"key":"B35","year":"2023"},{"key":"B36","year":"2023"},{"key":"B37","year":"2023"},{"key":"B38","year":"2023"},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1248","DOI":"10.1093\/jamia\/ocy072","article-title":"Conversational agents in healthcare: a systematic review","volume":"25","author":"Laranjo","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Am Med Inform Assoc"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1679","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMp2003539","article-title":"Virtually perfect? Telemedicine for COVID-19","volume":"382","author":"Hollander","year":"2020","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"660","DOI":"10.1080\/02681102.2022.2046533","article-title":"Digital citizen empowerment: a systematic literature review of theories and development models","volume":"28","author":"Sharma","year":"2022","journal-title":"Inform Technol Dev"},{"key":"B42","article-title":"What do End-users really want? Investigation of human-centered XAI for Mobile health apps","author":"Weitz","year":"2022","journal-title":"arXiv [preprint]"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113473","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2022.113473","article-title":"An international and cross-cultural perspective on \u201cthe wired consumer\u201d: the digital divide and device difference dilemmas","volume":"156","author":"Papadopoulos","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Bus Res"},{"key":"B44","year":"2022"},{"key":"B45","year":"2022"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e23","DOI":"10.2196\/mhealth.8873","article-title":"The impact of mHealth interventions: systematic review of systematic reviews","volume":"6","author":"Marcolino","year":"2018","journal-title":"JMIR Mhealth Uhealth"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1072322","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.1072322","article-title":"Mobile health solutions: an opportunity for rehabilitation in low-and middle income countries?","volume":"10","author":"Bonnech\u00e8re","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-023-09581-7","article-title":"The effects of mHealth interventions on improving institutional delivery and uptake of postnatal care services in low-and lower-middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"23","author":"Gayesa","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"B49","year":"2022"},{"key":"B50","first-page":"156","author":"Siberry","year":"2022"},{"key":"B51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1038\/s41533-021-00248-6","article-title":"Mixed methods process evaluation of my breathing matters, a digital intervention to support self-management of asthma","volume":"31","author":"Greenwell","year":"2021","journal-title":"NPJ Prim Care Respir Med"},{"key":"B52","year":"2023"},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e062909","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2022-062909","article-title":"Framework to assess the quality of mHealth apps: a mixed-method international case study protocol","volume":"12","author":"Tan","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"B54","year":"2023"},{"key":"B55","year":"2023"},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e43561","DOI":"10.2196\/43561","article-title":"Interventions aimed at enhancing healthcare Providers\u2019 behavior toward the prescription of mobile health apps: systematic review","volume":"11","author":"Alkhaldi","year":"2023","journal-title":"JMIR Mhealth Uhealth"},{"key":"B57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"483","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-016-1717-7","article-title":"Quality of care for remote orthopaedic consultations using telemedicine: a randomised controlled trial","volume":"16","author":"Buvik","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"B58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/singaporemedj.SMJ-2021-333","article-title":"Utility and satisfaction of telemedicine for ambulatory orthopaedic care in an urban setting","author":"Lim","year":"2023","journal-title":"Singapore Med J"},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e19684","DOI":"10.2196\/19684","article-title":"Social media use, eHealth literacy, disease knowledge, and preventive behaviors in the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional study on Chinese netizens","volume":"22","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"B60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e19134","DOI":"10.2196\/19134","article-title":"Associations of health literacy, social media use, and self-efficacy with health information\u2013seeking intentions among social media users in China: cross-sectional survey","volume":"23","author":"Niu","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"B61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3301","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18063301","article-title":"Health literacy, digital health literacy, and COVID-19 pandemic attitudes and behaviors in US college students: implications for interventions","volume":"18","author":"Patil","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1007\/s11920-021-01274-463.","article-title":"Disparities in healthcare and the digital divide","volume":"23","author":"Saeed","year":"2021","journal-title":"Curr Psychiatry Rep"},{"key":"B63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2013","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2015.02013ISSN=1664-1078","article-title":"Ehealth for patient engagement: a systematic review","volume":"6","author":"Barello","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"B64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-022-12952-0","article-title":"The effect of smartphones on the self-rated health levels of the elderly","volume":"22","author":"Liang","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"B65","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e31801","DOI":"10.2196\/31801","article-title":"Development of a web-based, guided self-help, acceptance and commitment therapy\u2013based intervention for weight loss maintenance: evidence-, theory-, and person-based approach","volume":"6","author":"Richards","year":"2022","journal-title":"JMIR Form Res"},{"key":"B66","first-page":"540","article-title":"Patient satisfaction with telemedicine in acute care setting: a systematic review","volume":"8","author":"Eldaly","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Clin Transl Res"},{"key":"B67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1038\/s41746-020-0221-y","article-title":"An overview of clinical decision support systems: benefits, risks, and strategies for success","volume":"3","author":"Sutton","year":"2020","journal-title":"NPJ Digit Med"},{"key":"B68","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2044","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20032044","article-title":"Impact of online-delivered eHealth literacy intervention on eHealth literacy and health behavior outcomes among female college students during COVID-19","volume":"20","author":"Roh","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B69","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e34144","DOI":"10.2196\/34144","article-title":"Inequities in healthcare services caused by the adoption of digital health technologies: scoping review","volume":"24","author":"Yao","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"B70","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12910-022-00758-z","article-title":"Trust and digital privacy in healthcare: a cross-sectional descriptive study of trust and attitudes towards uses of electronic health data among the general public in Sweden","volume":"23","author":"Belfrage","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Med Ethics"},{"key":"B71","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e26189","DOI":"10.2196\/26189","article-title":"The impact of digital patient portals on health outcomes, system efficiency, and patient attitudes: updated systematic literature review","volume":"23","author":"Carini","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"B72","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s10389-023-01997-z","article-title":"Ehealth literacy, internet and eHealth service usage: a survey among a German municipality","volume":"5","author":"Cramer","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Public Health (Bangkok)"},{"key":"B73","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.1353\/hpu.2021.0053","article-title":"Managing technology, content, and user experience: an mHealth intervention to improve women\u2019s health literacy after incarceration","volume":"32","author":"Geana","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Health Care Poor Underserved"},{"key":"B74","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1153","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17041153","article-title":"Evolving role of social media in health promotion: updated responsibilities for health education specialists","volume":"17","author":"Stellefson","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B75","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1261","DOI":"10.1007\/s10796-022-10282-5","article-title":"An AI-based decision support system for predicting mental health disorders","volume":"25","author":"Tutun","year":"2023","journal-title":"Inform Syst Front"},{"key":"B76","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2043","DOI":"10.1007\/s11831-021-09648-w","article-title":"A systematic review of artificial intelligence techniques in cancer prediction and diagnosis","volume":"29","author":"Kumar","year":"2022","journal-title":"Arch Comput Methods Eng"},{"key":"B77","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1779","DOI":"10.2147\/JMDH.S410301","article-title":"Machine learning and AI in cancer prognosis, prediction, and treatment selection: a critical approach","volume":"31","author":"Zhang","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Multidiscip Healthc"},{"key":"B78","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1038\/nature21056","article-title":"Dermatologist-level classification of skin cancer with deep neural networks","volume":"542","author":"Esteva","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"B79","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"CAT-22","DOI":"10.1056\/CAT.22.0237","article-title":"Reducing readmission risk through whole-person design","volume":"4","author":"Baird","year":"2022","journal-title":"NEJM Catal Innov Care Deliv"},{"key":"B80","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-99-1075-5_2","article-title":"Big data analytics in healthcare","volume-title":"Knowledge technology and systems: Toward establishing knowledge systems science","author":"Guo","year":"2023"},{"key":"B81","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aax2342","article-title":"Dissecting racial bias in an algorithm used to manage the health of populations","volume":"366","author":"Obermeyer","year":"2019","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"B82","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1337","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-019-0548-6","article-title":"Do no harm: a roadmap for responsible machine learning for healthcare","volume":"25","author":"Wiens","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat Med"},{"key":"B83","year":"2017"},{"key":"B84","year":"2023"},{"key":"B85","year":"2016"},{"key":"B86","year":"2018"},{"key":"B87","year":"2018"},{"key":"B88","year":"2023"},{"key":"B89","year":""},{"key":"B90","year":"2023"},{"key":"B91","year":"2021"},{"key":"B92","first-page":"836","author":"Shanafelt","year":"2016"},{"key":"B93","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.3390\/bs8110098","article-title":"Factors related to physician burnout and its consequences: a review","volume":"8","author":"Patel","year":"2018","journal-title":"Behav. Sci. (Basel)"},{"key":"B94","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1057\/s41599-022-01427-7","article-title":"Shining a light on an additional clinical burden: work-related digital communication survey study\u2013COVID-19 impact on NHS staff wellbeing","volume":"9","author":"Bakhai","year":"2022","journal-title":"Humanit Soc Sci Commun"},{"key":"B95","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100049","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hsr.2022.100049","article-title":"The relationship between resident physician burnout and its\u2019 effects on patient care, professionalism, and academic achievement: a review of the literature","author":"McTaggart","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health Sciences Review"},{"key":"B96","year":"2017"},{"key":"B97","year":"2023"},{"key":"B98","year":"2016"},{"key":"B99","year":"2003"},{"key":"B100","year":"2023"},{"key":"B101","year":"2013"},{"key":"B102","year":"2016"},{"key":"B103","year":"2016"},{"key":"B104","year":"2016"},{"key":"B105","year":"2023"},{"key":"B106","year":"2020"},{"key":"B107","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e27794","DOI":"10.2196\/27794","article-title":"The effects of mHealth-based gamification interventions on participation in physical activity: systematic review","volume":"10","author":"Xu","year":"2022","journal-title":"JMIR Mhealth Uhealth"},{"key":"B108","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e016242","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2017-016242","article-title":"Telehealth and patient satisfaction: a systematic review and narrative analysis","volume":"7","author":"Kruse","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"B109","volume-title":"Tech adoption climbs among older adults","author":"Anderson","year":"2017"},{"key":"B110","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"970333","DOI":"10.3389\/fsoc.2022.970333","article-title":"The experience of conducting collaborative and intensive pragmatic qualitative (CLIP-Q) research to support rapid public health and healthcare innovation","volume":"7","author":"Horwood","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Sociol"},{"key":"B111","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"951","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pec.2017.11.006","article-title":"Missing the mark for patient engagement: mHealth literacy strategies and behavior change processes in smoking cessation apps","volume":"101","author":"Paige","year":"2018","journal-title":"Patient Educ Couns"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Digital Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fdgth.2023.1264780\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,18]],"date-time":"2023-11-18T10:11:17Z","timestamp":1700302277000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fdgth.2023.1264780\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,17]]},"references-count":111,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fdgth.2023.1264780"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fdgth.2023.1264780","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-253X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-253X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,17]]},"article-number":"1264780"}}