Mediating role of digital literacy in the effect of e-health literacy on rational drug use: The case of Bozüyük State Hospital

The main purpose of this study; To determine the mediating role of digital literacy in the effect of e-health literacy on rational drug use. The study was carried out with the data obtained from the sample consisting of patients/patient relatives, most of whom were admitted to the emergency department of Bilecik Bozüyük State Hospital. The measurement tools used in the study were obtained from previous literature-based studies. As a data collection tool; Questionnaire containing the socio-demographic information of the participants, and 3 different scales were used to measure their digital literacy levels, e-health literacy levels and rational drug use levels. Quantitative research method was used in the research; The data were collected by the researcher himself using the face-to-face survey technique with convenience sampling method. SPSS and AMOS statistical analysis programs were used in the analysis of the data. In the analysis of research data; Descriptive analyzes and path analysis were applied to the research data. Data from 405 participants were used in the study. In the analysis of demographic characteristics, participants; Age, gender, education level, occupation, monthly income of the family, regular drug use, general health, internet use for any health issue and receiving health services in the last year were discussed. No difference was observed in the tests performed on the participants according to gender groups, regular drug use and monthly income of their families in the subgroups mentioned. Some differences were detected in other subgroups. But when the averages of all subgroups are examined; "I agree" was given for the variables of digital literacy (3.57±0.87), e-health literacy (3.54±0.79) and rational drug use (2.69±0.36). In the "Path analysis" results, the effect of the independent variable e-health literacy on the dependent variable rational drug use was significant. However, when the mediator variable, digital literacy, is included in the model together with the independent variable, e-health literacy, it eliminates the effect and importance of the e-health literacy variable on the dependent variable, the rational drug use variable, and maintains the relationship between the two variables on its own. According to the results of the analysis made when all variables were included in the model; The effect of the digital literacy variable on the e-health literacy variable was found to be positively significant. The effect of the rational drug use variable on the digital literacy variable was also found to be positively significant. However, the effect of the rational drug use variable on the e-health literacy variable was found to be insignificant. As a result, it has been determined that the digital literacy variable has a "Full Mediation" role in the effect of e-health literacy on rational drug use.