Exploring the Challenges to Digital Health Literacy among University Students and Senior Faculty: A Cross-National Comparison Between China and Pakistan

Abstract

The growing use of the internet demands the digitalization of health services worldwide. For this purpose, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is used to access, understand, evaluate, and use online health information and services. Despite the rapid expansion of e-health technologies, university students and senior faculty continue to face numerous challenges that hinder the effective use of digital health resources, particularly in countries with diverse technological, linguistic, and sociocultural contexts. We conducted 16 focus groups and 30 interviews with students and senior faculty members, respectively, across two countries and sampled general and medical/health universities. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis in NVIVO and manual code segmentation (deductive and inductive). Results indicated that the major challenges faced by the university students and senior faculty across China and Pakistan were inadequate adoption of e-health technology, lack of English language proficiency to understand e-health sites, digital incompetence, lack of trustworthiness, socio-cultural restrictions, information overflow, content evaluation, confusing terminologies/abbreviations about health, along with the socio-psychological stumbling blocks in achieving digital health expertise. In conclusion, e-health literacy was driven by technological advancements and the digitalization of e-health services among educated inhabitants of China and Pakistan. Combined efforts by the government and university administration could enhance the acceptance and adoption of e-health services among educated youth.