ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2025
Digital and Navigational Health Literacy in Surgical Patients: Vulnerabilities in the Transition to Post-Discharge Care.
Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- What is known about digital literacy, digital inclusion and attitudes to digital health tools among older adults undergoing surgery? A systematic review and narrative synthesis.Age and ageing · 2026Pooled it
- Measuring eHealth Literacy in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesThe digitalization of healthcare in general, and particularly of surgical care, increasingly requires patients to navigate online information and digital follow-up systems. Limited digital or navigational health literacy may hinder safe recovery and exacerbate health inequities. This study aimed to assess levels of digital and navigational health literacy and their associations in a sample of surgical patients.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with ninety-four adults undergoing elective or emergency surgery, using the validated HLS19-DIGI (digital health literacy) and HLS19-NAV (navigational health literacy) instruments. Data collection took place between March 2025, and 28 August 2025, at a hospital in the Lisbon district. Descriptive analyses, bivariate analysis, and multiple regression were used to identify sociodemographic and clinical predictors.
resultsDigital literacy varied significantly across age groups (
conclusionsThe surgical patients in this study demonstrated marked literacy deficits, particularly older adults and those undergoing emergency procedures. Digital and navigational literacy appear to reflect overlapping competencies. As healthcare shifts toward digital models, it is essential to develop age-adapted strategies to promote equity and prevent exclusion.
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