Information Behavior Model of e-Health Literacy for Online Health Information-seeking Effectiveness

This study examines the growing imbalance between the availability and demand for medical resources, rising healthcare costs, and the critical role of accessible health information in disease prevention and public health. The rapid advancement of information technology has established the Internet as a primary source of health information, leading to an overload that surpasses users' processing capacity and causes significant cognitive and emotional challenges. This phenomenon profoundly affects users' health information behavior and decision-making, particularly in self-health management. To address these challenges, eHealth literacy must incorporate an understanding of users' information behavior. This research analyzed the literature on eHealth literacy through a systematic review, identifying key components and categorizing them using Squiers' method. The findings reveal that current definitions fail to address the variability in online health information quality and lack a comprehensive model for understanding information behavior in an overloaded environment. As a solution, this study proposes a new definition of eHealth literacy: the capacity to efficiently search for, access, evaluate, and apply relevant information based on physiological, emotional, and cognitive needs when using electronic health resources. This new definition emphasizes discernment, proactive engagement, personalized use, and practical application of information in health management. The Information Behavior Model of eHealth Literacy (IBeHL) highlights eHealth literacy's multifaceted and dynamic nature, influenced by environmental factors, and recognizes both active information seeking and passive information exposure. Future research should focus on refining this model and exploring its potential to enhance health information behavior and decision-making.