Alexander Johannes Aloysius Maria van Deursen|Johannes A.G.M. van Dijk
Internet Skills Performance Tests: Are People Ready for eHealth?
University of Twente|University of Twente
despite amount online health information several barriers limit internets adoption source health information one barriers highlighted conceptualizations digital divide include differential possession internet skills ehealth literacy measures internet skills among populations large use selfassessments research discussed applies multifaceted definition internet skills uses actual performance teststhe purpose study assess ready sample general population ehealth specifically four types internet skills measured performance test subjects complete healthrelated assignments internetfrom november 1 2009 february 28 2010 88 subjects participated study subjects randomly selected telephone directory selective quota sample used divided equal subsamples gender age education subject accomplish assignments internet internet skills accounted categorized operational basic skills use internet formal navigation orientation information finding information strategic using information personal benefits tests took approximately 15 hours conducted university office making setting equally new successful completion time spent assignmentsthe two main outcomeswere directly measured test leaderthe subjects successfully completed average 73 588 operational internet skill tasks average 73 294 formal internet skill tasks information internet skills tasks average 50 153 completed successfully strategic internet skills tasks 35 072 28 2588 subjects able successfully complete operational skills tasks 39 3488 formal skills tasks 13 1188 information skills tasks 20 1888 strategic skill tasks time spent assignments varied substantially age education important contributors operational formal internet skills regarding formal internet skills years internet experience also influence educational level attainment important contributor information strategic internet skillsalthough amount online healthrelated information services consistently growing appears general population lacks skills keep problematic appear lack information strategic internet skills context health important lack skills also problematic members younger generations often considered skilled internet users primarily seems account operational formal internet skills results study strongly call policies increase level internet skills