The TRIO project addresses these challenges by developing a modular approach to digital, health, and data literacy. This project creates a manual, a toolkit for trainers, and a Green Paper in collaboration with stakeholders, supported by a customizable platform. The content is tailored to different age groups (18-35, 36-50, 51+) and focuses on groups at risk of exclusion. TRIO conducts pilots in five countries to empower citizens of all ages and education levels to navigate the eHealth world, make informed decisions, and improve their well-being, autonomy, and inclusion.
Digital technologies in health enhance self-care, health promotion, and illness prevention by facilitating consultations, medication requests, access to health records, and the use of m-health solutions like apps and wearables. However, the rapid growth of digital health exacerbates existing health inequalities, particularly among those with lower literacy levels, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. People who are digitally health literate tend to adopt healthier lifestyle behaviors, but those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, vulnerable groups, or older populations struggle with technological advancements. The Directorate-General of Health in Portugal warns of increasing health inequalities due to digital health growth and stresses the need for better digital health literacy. Improving health literacy can reduce these inequalities by building citizens’ confidence and skills. As digital health literacy now includes data literacy, understanding data sharing is crucial for benefiting from digital health technologies.