Digital Health Literacy: A Concept Analysis

Abstract

Digital health literacy has become central to contemporary health care because patients and professionals increasingly rely on patient portals, telehealth platforms, mobile applications, remote monitoring systems, and online information environments to access, interpret, and act on health information. Despite its widespread use, the concept remains inconsistently defined and is frequently conflated with digital literacy, health literacy, and the earlier notion of eHealth literacy. This paper therefore aimed to clarify the meaning, boundaries, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of digital health literacy through a concept analysis. Walker and Avant’s method guided the analysis, supported by a structured search of recent peer-reviewed literature and selected foundational works. After verification of the final evidence base, 39 studies were retained for concept-analytic synthesis. The analysis indicates that digital health literacy is a multidimensional socio-technical capability involving access to digital tools, navigation of digital health resources, comprehension of health content, critical appraisal of credibility and relevance, communicative interaction within digital environments, and application of digital information to decision-making and self-management. Major antecedents include basic literacy, health literacy, internet access, digital readiness, trust, motivation, and supportive organizational or social conditions. Major consequences include stronger patient engagement, more effective use of digital services, improved self-management, and better informed decision-making, whereas low digital health literacy increases the risk of exclusion, disengagement, and exposure to misinformation. The concept should therefore be understood as more than technical competence. Clarifying digital health literacy can strengthen nursing theory, measurement, intervention design, and equitable digital health implementation.