Professional Experience Placement

While this study was undertaken in Japan, the findings of internet in Australia.  The aim of the study was to examine the associations of ehealth literacy and general health behaviour among adult internet users. Recruitment was by invitation via email from registrants of a Japanese internet company.  The response rate was approximately 20%.  Mitsutake et al (2016) measured socio-demographic variables; frequency of internet searching; ehealth literacy; and health behaviour.

The results of the study found  adult internet users with high ehealth literacy were significantly more likely to have good health behaviour related to physical exercise and balanced nutrition than individuals with low ehealth literacy. There was no difference between ehealth literacy and cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, sleeping hours, eating breakfast or eating between meals. This study found that high levels of ehealth literacy may promote the healthy behaviour of physical exercise and balanced nutrition in the general population. The implications for clinical supervisors and educators is the need for opportunistic health promotion that could include promotion of ehealth literacy as a health promotion intervention with patients and clients while supervising students.  There is opportunity for clinical supervisors and students using a triad model to develop therapeutic relationships while assisting consumers to develop their ehealth literacy. Promotion of accessing and discerning credible internet sites is part of this learning.  It is essential that clinical supervisors have well developed understanding of how to access and use web-based platforms, know where to seek and find information.  They also need to have the skills to discern credible information and guide others. Capability in informatics is now mandatory in all undergraduate nursing programs (ANMAC 2012, 2014) and this means clinical supervisors need to be able to meet the challenge of being able to guide students in becoming digitally professional.

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