The effect of e-Health literacy levels of patients undergoing lung resection on health perception and learning needs

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effect of e-health literacy levels on health perception and learning needs in patients undergoing lung resection. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in the Thoracic Surgery Clinic of Pamukkale University Hospital between September 2024 and September 2025. The sample of the study consisted of 117 patients who underwent lung resection. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the e-Health Literacy Scale, the Health Perception Scale, and the Patient Learning Needs Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal– Wallis test, and linear regression analyses. Results: The mean age of the patients was 61.43 ± 10.86 years. The mean e-Health Literacy Scale score was 26.01 ± 9.25, the mean Health Perception Scale score was 39.91 ± 5.19, and the mean Patient Learning Needs Scale score was 159.36 ± 22.59. A statistically significant difference in e-Health literacy levels was observed according to the presence of chronic disease (p<0.001), physical activity status (p<0.001), perceived health status (p<0.011), previous hospitalization history (p<0.004), history of surgery (p<0.001), technology use (p<0.001), and the primary source used to access health information (p<0.001). A weak negative correlation was found between health perception and age (r=-0.199, p<0.032). A moderate positive and statistically significant correlation was identified between e-Health literacy and health perception (r=0.481, p<0.001). In contrast, no statistically significant association was found between e-Health literacy and patient learning needs (p>0.05). Simple linear regression analysis demonstrated that eHealth literacy was a significant positive predictor of health perception (B=0.270, β=0.481, t=5.886, p<0.001, R²=0.232), explaining 23.2% of the variance in health perception. Conversely, e-Health literacy was not a significant predictor of patient learning needs (B=-0.041, β=-0.017, t=-0.182, p<0.856, R²=0.000). Conclusion: E-Health literacy was found to have a significant effect on health perception but not on the learning needs of patients undergoing lung resection. It is recommended that nursing interventions aimed at improving e-health literacy be implemented. Keywords: Lung Resection; E-Health Literacy; Health Perception; Learning Needs