eHealth: Using Healthcare Information From the Internet in the Classroom

The current “Millennial Generation” of college students majoring in the health professions has unprecedented access to the Internet.  Eight out of 10 Internet users look online for health information, making it the third most popular Web activity next to checking email and using search engines (Stellefson, Hanik, Chaney, & Tennant, 2012). The Internet continues to be widely used to facilitate research and learning for health and medical information. eHealth emerged early in the 21st century and is an all-encompassing term for the combined use of electronic information and communication technology in the health sector. With regard to healthcare, the Internet can provide valuable information on disease conditions, health assessment, treatment options, and preventative measures.

New technology and the way in which it is used is revolutionizing health care and changing the practice of every nurse. It also affects the way nursing students are learning in the classroom. Technology in education has advanced significantly from overhead projectors as the primary teaching aid in the traditional classroom (Christian, 2003). Technology plays a critical role in teaching and learning allowing students to interact and share information with the instructor and with peers. The pervasiveness of the Internet makes obtaining, processing, and understanding health information a critical competency area for nursing students. Faculty should consider incorporating learning activities that help students develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to locate and evaluate information on the internet (Robb, & Shellenbarger, 2014).

An eHealth group assignment was created for students in an undergraduate nursing course. The purpose of the assignment was to provide students with opportunities for accessing electronic health (eHealth) information and sharing of the information or resources in the classroom. The 30 students enrolled in the course were assigned to one of eight groups. Students were required to conduct an online search and select an article that was related to the topic assigned. They were provided with the CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) test to evaluate the article/information selected. The eHealth assignment required students to build and eHealth wiki page on the course management system by providing a description of the topic, overview of the article, create and attaching a word file of the article, and a link to the webpage. In addition, pictures and YouTube videos to support the report were required. The eHealth reports were presented in the classroom. At the end of the semester a 5-item questionnaire was given to evaluate the eHealth Report assignment.

Results of the questionnaire surveys were unanimously positive. Feedback from students suggested that the development of the eHealth Report wiki allowed for creativity, collaboration and teamwork. There was evidence of sharing of information. All of the students (100%) communicated that the assignment added to their skills, knowledge, and confidence in locating and evaluating information from the Internet. Ninety-seven (97%) percent of the students found the assignment to be helpful in learning about the concepts. Only 80% of the students found the online format easy to use. However, 100% of the students would recommend the eHealth assignment for future nursing students.

Using digital technologies such as wikis in the classroom and online search for healthcare information empowers students to take an active role in their learning allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts. The Internet is a valuable tool used by students to provide them with important information on healthcare related topics that may ultimately impact their practices as Registered Nurses.