Insights from a digital health literacy coaching intervention for patients with hypertension in the emergency department: A cohort study

ObjectiveDigital health literacy (DHL), as part of the social determinants of health, affects health outcomes. To address the problem of poor DHL in under-served populations, we designed a study to provide coaching for participants with poor DHL and hypertension to observe it's impact on digital health literacy including self-efficacy.MethodsThe participants were recruited from the emergency department. We performed a non-randomized experimental cohort study in which coaches provided monthly sessions to participants on digital literacy and health management topics that could help to track their progress and change their behavior. Multiple instruments were administered longitudinally, including measures of self-efficacy in digital literacy, loneliness, nutrition, activity and blood pressure tracking.ResultsParticipants demonstrated trends toward increased self-efficacy, digital communication, activity, and reduced loneliness. The qualitative results from the intervention combine to provide insights regarding the most important factors for successful DHL interventions.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that a structured coaching intervention can enhance a patient's self-confidence in managing their health overall, their chronic condition, and their use of digital tools.