Digital health literacy as mediator between language preference and telehealth use among Latinos in the United States.

Linares, Miguel; Rodriguez, Jorge A; Wisk, Lauren E; Bell, Douglas S; Brown, Arleen; Casillas, Alejandra · J Am Med Inform Assoc · 2026

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

Using 2023-2024 U.S. National Health Interview Survey data, we found that digital health literacy (dHL) mediated nearly half of the difference in telehealth use between Latino adults with non-English and English language preference. These findings identify dHL as a modifiable mechanism linking linguistic and digital access barriers, underscoring the need for multilingual, inclusive, and equitable telehealth design.

Medical subject headings