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Influence of Storage Temperature on the Bond Performance of Universal Adhesives: A Narrative Review
Volume 8 | Issue - 8
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Effects of direct acting antivirals(DAAs)on cryoglobulinemia in patients infected with hepatitis C virus
Volume 8 | Issue - 8
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Effect of Education Sessions About Plastic Usage Hazards and Its Safe Disposal on Knowledge and Reported Practice of Female Employees at Port Said University: A Pre–Post Intervention Study
Volume 8 | Issue - 7
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Soil Quality Under a Cocoa-Based Agroforestry System With Associated Indigenous Tree Species In The Department Of Divo (Cote d’Ivoire)
Volume 8 | Issue - 7
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Queueing-Model based Optimal Threshold Recruitment in IT Markov Manpower Sectors
Volume 8 | Issue - 6
Digital Health Literacy and its Impact on Hypertension Care Outcomes: Investigating the Effectiveness of Digital Resources in Managing Hypertension and Enhancing medication Adherence Among the Elderly
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Hypertension is prevalent among the elderly population, and digital health resources offer potential benefits for disease management. However, the impact of online health information seeking on clinical outcomes in this demographic remains unclear. Objective: To investigate the impact of digital health literacy on hypertension management outcomes among elderly patients and evaluate the effectiveness of digital resources in enhancing adherence to treatment regimens. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 300 hypertensive patients aged 60 years or older, divided into two groups: those who supplemented physician advice with online health information (n=150) and those who relied solely on healthcare professional advice (n=150). Blood pressure control, medication adherence (MARS-10), online health information seeking behaviours, and barriers to digital resource utilization were assessed. Results: Patients who used digital health resources showed significantly better blood pressure control (systolic: 131±08 mmHg vs. 134±09 mmHg, p=0.013; diastolic: 83±05 mmHg vs. 87±05 mmHg, p=0.017) and higher medication adherence scores (MARS-10: 7.19±0.44 vs. 6.86±0.93, p=0.031) compared to those who did not. However, significant gaps in digital health literacy were identified, with only 36% of users correctly identifying credible website extensions and 68.7% never checking publication dates of online health articles. Major barriers to online health information seeking included lack of digital literacy (62.7%), language accessibility (71.3%), and privacy concerns (52.7%). Conclusion: While the use of digital health resources is associated with improved hypertension management outcomes in elderly patients, significant challenges in digital health literacy and access exist. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve digital health literacy and the development of age-appropriate digital health resources, while maintaining the primacy of the patient-provider relationship in healthcare delivery.
