Exploring the Influence of Health and Digital Health Literacy on Quality of Life and Follow-up Compliance in Patients with Primary Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Prospective, Single-Center Study

Abstract Objective Given the increasing significance of digital health literacy (DHL) and health literacy (HL) in promoting informed decision-making and healthy behaviors, this study aimed to assess the influence of self-reported HL and DHL on treatment adherence and quality of life among patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TUR-BT) for primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).Materials & Methods This observational research involved 107 NIMBC participants. Before the procedure, the patients' DHL and HL were evaluated using the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire short version and the eHealth Literacy Scale. Six months after surgery, we surveyed patients’ QoL using the EORTC QLQ-C30. In line with recommendations from the European Association of Urology guidelines, adherence to the treatment plan was assessed along with a follow-up cystoscopy examination for each patient.Results Multivariate analysis revealed that poorer DHL and HL were significantly associated with older age (p Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the specific effect of HL/DHL on QoL and adherence in this patient population. Our research suggests that there may be a link between self-reported levels of DHL/HL and treatment adherence as well as QoL among patients with NIMBC.