Josip Car|Britta Lang|Anthea Colledge|Chuin Ying Ung|Azeem Majeed
Interventions for enhancing consumers' online health literacy
Imperial College London|University of Ljubljana|University Medical Center Freiburg|Imperial College London|Imperial College London|Imperial College London
access health information critical enable consumers participate decisions health increasingly information accessed via internet number barriers prevent consumers making effective use barriers include inadequate skills search evaluate use information yet demonstrated whether training consumers use internet health information result positive health outcomesto assess effects interventions enhancing consumers online health literacy skills search evaluate use online health informationwe searched cochrane consumers communication review group specialised register cochrane central register controlled trials central cochrane library issue 1 2008 medline ovid embase ovid cinahl dialog eric csa illumina lisa csa illumina psycinfo ovid index scientific technical proceedings sigle aslib index theses proquest dissertation abstracts national research registeruk crn portfolio database current controlled trials metaregister controlled trials searched databases period january 1990 march 2008randomised controlled trials rcts cluster rcts associated economic evaluations quasircts interrupted time series analyses controlled cba studies assessing interventions enhance consumers online health literacy languagetwo review authors independently selected studies inclusion assessed quality extracted data contacted study authors clarification seek missing data presented results narrative tabular summary calculated mean differences appropriatewe included two studies one randomised controlled trial rct one controlled cba study combined total 470 participants rct compared internet health information classes patient education classes participants hiv infection rct rated moderate risk bias reported statistically significant positive effects primary outcomes related online health literacy intervention group following outcomes selfefficacy health information seeking health information evaluation skills number times patient discussed online information health provider cba rated high risk bias compared internet health information classes control group receiving intervention among healthy adults aged 50 showed significant positive changes secondary behavioural outcome intervention group regarding readiness adopt internet tool preventive health information adverse effects reportedthere low quality evidence interventions may improve outcomes relevant online health literacy certain populationsdue small number studies variable methodological quality evidence weak draw conclusions implications design delivery interventions online health literacy need welldesigned rcts investigate effects interventions involve different participants terms disease status age socioeconomic group gender analyse extent online health literacy reduces barrier using internet health information trials conducted different settings examine interventions enhance consumers online health literacy search appraisal use online health information like internet training courses measuring outcomes least one year intervention estimate sustainability intervention effects