Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41355284›Full record

ArticleJournal of advanced nursing2026

Profiling Healthcare Professionals' Digital Health Competence and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Dania Comparcini, Valentina Simonetti, Melania Totaro, Marco Tomietto, Barbara Forastefano, Erika Jarva, Francesco Pastore, Flavia Minoia, Beatrice Gullo, Teresa Rea and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of advanced nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Dania ComparciniInterdisciplinary Department of Medicine, 'Aldo Moro' University of Bari, Bari, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3622-6370
Valentina SimonettiCenter of Innovation in Nursing Research (CINR)-Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7185-4850
Melania TotaroDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, 'Tor Vergata' University, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7540-117X
Marco TomiettoSchool of Healthcare and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3813-1490
Barbara ForastefanoDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, 'Tor Vergata' University, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5462-8209
Erika JarvaResearch Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6860-4319
Francesco PastoreCenter of Innovation in Nursing Research (CINR)-Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5491-2759
Flavia MinoiaCenter of Innovation in Nursing Research (CINR)-Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1685-3081
Beatrice GulloCenter of Innovation in Nursing Research (CINR)-Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7531-5430
Teresa ReaDepartment of Public Health, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6444-0951
Assunta GuillariDepartment of Translational Medical Sciences, Clinical Research Center DEMeTra, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8423-8195
Kristina MikkonenSchool of Healthcare and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4355-3428
Giancarlo CicoliniCenter of Innovation in Nursing Research (CINR)-Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2736-1792

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo assess healthcare professionals' digital health competence and its associated factors.

designCross-sectional study.

methodsThe study was conducted from October 2023 to April 2024 among healthcare professionals in Italy, using convenience and snowball sampling. The questionnaire included four sections assessing: (i) socio-demographic and work-related characteristics; (ii) use of digital solutions as part of work and in free time, and communication channels to counsel clients in work; and DigiHealthCom and DigiComInf instruments including measurements of (iii) digital health competence and (iv) managerial, organisational and collegiality factors. K-means cluster analysis was employed to identify clusters of digital health competence; descriptive statistics to summarise characteristics and ANOVA and Chi-square tests to assess cluster differences.

resultsAmong 301 healthcare professionals, the majority were nurses (n = 287, 95.3%). Three clusters were identified: cluster 1 showing the lowest, cluster 2 moderate and cluster 3 the highest digital health competence. Most participants (n = 193, 64.1%) belonged to cluster 3. Despite their proficiency, clusters 2 and 3 scored significantly lower on ethical competence. Least digitally competent professionals had significantly higher work experience, while the most competent reported stronger support from management, organisation, and colleagues. Communication channels for counselling clients and digital device use, both at work and during free time, were predominantly traditional technologies.

conclusionEducational programmes and organisational policies prioritising digital health competence development are needed to advance digital transition and equity in the healthcare workforce. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: Greater emphasis should be placed on the ethical aspects, with interventions tailored to healthcare professionals' digital health competence. Training and policies involving managers and colleagues, such as mentoring and distributed leadership, could help bridge the digital divide. Alongside traditional devices, the adoption of advanced technologies should be promoted. REPORTING

methodThis study adheres to the STROBE checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: None.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceDigital HealthHealth PersonnelAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and Questionnairescluster analysisdigital health competencehealthcare professionalsnursing personnelorganisational supportprofessional development

Identifiers

PMID41355284
PMCPMC13356286

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.