Impact of Patients’ Health Literacy on the Adoption of Medical Teleconsultation: Evidence From France

Objectives: Medical teleconsultation is a key solution to improve access to healthcare, particularly during crises. This study examines the influence of patients’ health literacy on the adoption of medical teleconsultation in France. We hypothesize that higher levels of health literacy are associated with more positive perceptions and greater intention to use teleconsultation services. Methods: We conducted a nationwide online survey of 1,163 French adults between December 2020 and January 2021. The proposed conceptual model integrates three key dimensions of health literacy—understanding, access, and evaluation—with core constructs from the technology acceptance model (TAM), including perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, and intention. The model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: The structural equation model explains 54.2% of the variance in teleconsultation adoption. While health literacy dimensions positively influence perceived ease of use, two of them—understanding and access—showed a surprising negative impact on perceived usefulness. Trust in teleconsultation emerges as a key mediating factor between literacy and adoption. All paths in the model are statistically significant. Conclusion: This study provides novel empirical evidence that patients’ health literacy significantly shapes their attitudes toward and intention to use teleconsultation, although not always in the expected direction. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring digital health services to diverse literacy profiles and call for further research to better understand the nuanced effects of literacy in digital healthcare environments.