Influence of health literacy on outcomes using telehomecare technology: A systematic review

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the literature describing the interaction between the use of telehomecare technology and level of health literacy among chronic patients. The aim of the review was both to explore whether and how level of health literacy affects the ability to use telehomecare technology and, additionally, whether and how the use of telehomecare technology influences the level of health literacy. Design: Systematic literature review. Method: Four relevant studies, reported in five papers, were identified and evaluated according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The studies include a total of 1,120 participants in the telehomecare intervention groups and 617 participants in the control groups. The following data were extracted from the four included studies: author, year, country, number of patients, type of patients, time horizon, health literacy screening tool, nature of the intervention and description of the compared alternatives, for example, usual care. Results: The studies report conflicting observations, and a synthesis of their results therefore provides no clear picture of the interaction between health literacy and the use of telehomecare technology. Conclusion: Exploring the interaction between health literacy and the use of telehomecare was not a primary objective in any of the four included studies. Further research is needed to provide a better picture of the interaction between health literacy and the use of telehomecare technology.