92: NECESSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE MODEL FOR MEASURING E-HEALTH LITERACY

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: E-Health is considered as a new tool and approach for improving public health. However existence of the health digital divide among different groups of population can act as an obstacle for achieving its goals. Improving the e-Health literacy helps to reduce this gap. Prior to taking any action toward increasing e-health literacy, a comprehensive tool should be created and standardized for measuring it at national level. The aim of this study was to highlight the necessity of developing such a tool and to determine its dimensions. METHODS: This study was conducted through systematic review. Search was carried out in WOS, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest databases through deploying keywords such as “scale”, “model instrument”, “health literacy”, “e-health literacy”, “tool”, “measure”, “questionnaire”, “Necessity” from 2000 to 2015. Information was extracted from papers using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: 40 Paper was included for the final review in this study. The results showed lack of comprehensive and standardized tools to measure e-health literacy. Variety of existing e-health literacy definitions and structures seems to lead researchers toward designing different tools with distinct dimensions for measurement of e-health literacy. Comparative analysis of various aspects of existing tools revealed their similarities, differences and defects. Accordingly it is required to develop a comprehensive tool considering capabilities of existing tools, resolving their weaknesses and removing their defects. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive electronic health literacy tool is crucial to accurately determine health digital divide in the society. Development of such a tool is the first step toward promoting electronic health literacy and realizing electronics health goals.