Readiness of medical students to use digital communications in health promotion and disease prevention

Abstract

Purpose is to provide a theoretical justification for the role of digital communication in disease prevention and health promotion and to assess the level of digital competence and eHealth literacy among medical students. The study also aimed to test the hypothesis that general digital literacy is associated with students’ ability to find, critically evaluate, and use electronic health information and digital health services. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical medical and sociological study was conducted at Zhytomyr Medical Institute of the Zhytomyr Regional Council and its separate structural unit, the professional college. The study involved 122 students, including 90 students of the institute and 32 students of the professional college. Most respondents were aged 18–20 years. Primary data were collected through an anonymous online survey using Google Forms. The original questionnaire comprised 40 questions grouped into two sections: general digital literacy, information searching, cybersecurity, and data protection; and eHealth literacy and the use of digital tools in disease prevention and health promotion. The questions in the second section were developed with consideration of the eHEALS scale. A five-point Likert scale was used for self-assessment. Quantitative indicators were presented as M±m, while categorical data were reported as absolute numbers and percentages. Statistical analysis included one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and comparative analysis. Open-ended responses were processed using qualitative content analysis. Results were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. Data processing was performed using Microsoft Excel 365 and MedStat 5.2. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of voluntary participation, anonymity, confidentiality, and informed consent. Results. The students demonstrated a sufficient level of adaptation to the digital environment. The highest scores were obtained for digital content creation, ethical online communication, privacy settings, and the searching for and use of health information. Lower scores were recorded for the use of advanced search operators, scientific databases, cookie management, two-factor authentication, telemedicine services, and specialized public health resources. Confidence in making health-related decisions based on online information was lower than the ability to find and use relevant information. No statistically significant association was found between the duration of daily Internet use and the level of digital literacy (p=0.452). A strong positive statistically significant correlation was identified between general digital competence and eHealth literacy (r=0.746; p<0.001). There was no significant difference in general digital competence between institute and college students (p=0.388); however, college students demonstrated a statistically significantly higher level of eHealth literacy (p=0.012). A total of 86.1% of respondents expressed willingness to complete a specialized course on the digital transformation of medicine. Conclusions. Intensive Internet use does not guarantee the development of professionally oriented digital competencies. General digital literacy is an important prerequisite for the ability of future healthcare professionals to effectively find, evaluate, and use electronic health information. The findings support the integration of practical educational modules on evidence-based information searching, cybersecurity, telemedicine, mobile health technologies, professional online communication, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence into educational programmes.