IC-Health Project: Development of MOOCs to Promote Digital Health Literacy: First Results and Future Challenges

Lilisbeth Perestelo-Perez, Alezandra Torres-Castaño, Carina González-González, Yolanda Alvarez-Perez, Ana Toledo-Chavarri, Ana Wagner, Michelle Perello, Stephan Van Der Broucke, Gonzalo Díaz-Meneses, Barbara Piccini, Amado Rivero-Santana, Pedro Serrano-Aguilar and on behalf of the IC Project Consortium
Additional contact information
Lilisbeth Perestelo-Perez: Evaluation Unit of the Canary Islands Health Service (SESCS), 38109 Tenerife, Spain
Alezandra Torres-Castaño: Canarian Foundation Health Research Institute of the Canary Islands, 38109 Tenerife, Spain
Carina González-González: ITED Research Group, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of La Laguna (ULL), 38200 Tenerife, Spain
Yolanda Alvarez-Perez: Canarian Foundation Health Research Institute of the Canary Islands, 38109 Tenerife, Spain
Ana Toledo-Chavarri: Health Services Research on Chronic Patients Network (REDISSEC), 38109 Tenerife, Spain
Ana Wagner: Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, University Hospital Insular Materno-Infantil, 35016 Gran Canaria, Spain
Michelle Perello: Consulta Europa Projects & Innovation, 35017 Gran Canaria, Spain
Stephan Van Der Broucke: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Gonzalo Díaz-Meneses: Department of Economics and Business Management, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35001 Gran Canaria, Spain
Barbara Piccini: Diabetology Unit, Meyer University Children’s Hospital, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Amado Rivero-Santana: Health Services Research on Chronic Patients Network (REDISSEC), 38109 Tenerife, Spain
Pedro Serrano-Aguilar: Evaluation Unit of the Canary Islands Health Service (SESCS), 38109 Tenerife, Spain
on behalf of the IC Project Consortium: IC-Health Project Partner Consortium: Canary Islands Government—General Directorate for Public Health (Spain), Associazione Comitato Collaborazione Medica (Spain), University of La Laguna (Spain), Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), University of Udine (Italy), Ulster University (UK), Tallinn University (Estonia), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy), Scanbalt (Denmark), Meyer Children’s Hospital (Italy), Consulta Europa Projects & Innovation (Spain), FUNKA NU AB (Sweden), European Health Management Association (Belgium).

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 16, 1-17

Abstract: Digital health literacy (DHL) is the ability to search, understand and evaluate information from digital media and apply that knowledge to solve health problems. However, currently many citizens have not developed these skills, and this compromises not only the self-management of their health, but the possibility that health services are socially sustainable. The objective of this article was to present the objectives, activities and results of the IC-Health project whose objective was to develop a series of massive open online courses (MOOCs) to improve the DHL skills of European citizens. An exploratory report on DHL’s current evidence was developed. Furthermore, a survey, focus groups and group interviews were conducted to determine DHL levels and the needs of population cohorts (children; adolescents; pregnant and lactating women; the elderly; and people affected by type 1 and type 2 diabetes). A participation strategy with end users was designed through a community of practice for the creation of MOOCs with the seven European countries that participated in the consortium. Thirty-five MOOCs were developed in eight different languages and a descriptive and exploratory assessment of MOOCs was conducted with new participants. This first evaluation indicated that MOOCs can be an effective educational resource for DHL and a facilitator of shared decision-making processes. The process of co-creation of MOOCs, the components, the challenges and the opportunities identified in this European project could be useful for other developers of MOOCs who want to co-create interventions with beneficiaries in similar settings. Further longer-term actions are still needed to improve citizens’ DHL.

Keywords: digital health literacy; MOOCs; open education; co-creation; eHealth; shared decision making (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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