Virtual healthcare has been used to improve accessibility of quality health services however, it is important effective training and support is available to ensure all patients can engage and access appropriate treatment. eHealth literacy scores have been used to understand patient engagement. The aim is therefore to assess the eHealth literacy and proficiency levels of rpavirtual patients and its impact on their experience and engagement. Patients admitted to rpavirtual are invited to participate in this cross-sectional cohort study. Eligible patients receive an SMS invitation with the admission questionnaire. The questionnaire includes technology use, modified eHealth Literacy scale (eHEALS), computer and mobile device proficiency (CPQ & MDPQ-16), and demographics. Patients are also invited to complete a questionnaire on discharge which focuses on experiences, technology use and engagement (PAM13).
Questionnaires are completed and stored in REDCap. Patients can also complete questionnaires via phone, paper or using aphasia friendly versions. We hypothesise that patients with lower eHealth literacy and digital capabilities have inferior experiences or lower engagement. The first 180 patients recruited (8.10% response rate) are female (56.0%), English speakers (94.4%), and employed full-time (31.7%) or retired (32.8%). Patients indicated access to technology devices (97.2%) and internet (96.0%), and high self-reported ability using technology (mean 7.4, SD 2.2) and eHEALS score (mean 9.9, SD 7.6). The results however demonstrate requiring medium level of support from the hospital (mean 5.2, SD 3.1). The results will help understand the eHealth Literacy and technology ability of patients and inform hospital patient engagement and digital support strategies.