Incorporation of a digital health literacy model into the curricula of medical and rehabilitation science courses in higher education

Abstract

Introduction: currently, digital resources have changed the way we live in areas such as education and health. This scenario was reinforced after the COVID-19 pandemic, where society had to quickly adapt to virtual scenarios to access health services. In this way, electronic health (eHealth) is positioned as a relevant issue in the training of university health professionals and as a way to make higher education relevant to the innovation and digital transformation experienced by the health system. This research proposes as a general objective to analyze the degree of association between university education models and the development of health literacy for health and rehabilitation students. Method: the study, quantitative descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional design, brings together the self-perception in eHealth competences, through the application of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHeals), to 60 participants who were studying their professional practice to access the title of Speech Therapist. Results: the results reveal a significant difference between students who participated in an electronic health skills training pro-gram compared to those who were not part of such a program in their university education. Conclusion: the implementation of digital health literacy programs in higher education increases the ability to search for and evaluate the quality of health information online