Background: Digital health literacy is considered a health determinant that can influence improved health and well-being, health equity, and the reduction of social health inequalities. Therefore, it serves as an asset for individuals to promote their health. However, low digital health literacy is a major problem among forced migrant populations. They do not always have the capacity and skills to access digital health resources and use them appropriately. To our knowledge, no studies are currently available to examine effective interventions for improving digital health literacy among forced migrant populations. Objective: This paper presents the protocol for a systematic review that aims to assess the effectiveness of digital health literacy interventions among forced migrant populations. With this review, our objectives are as follows: (1) identify interventions designed to improve digital health literacy among forced migrant populations, including interventions aimed at creating enabling conditions or environments that cater to the needs and expectations of forced migrants limited by low levels of digital health literacy, with the goal of facilitating their access to and use of eHealth resources; (2) define the categories and describe the characteristics of these interventions, which are designed to enhance the abilities of forced migrants or adapt digital health services to meet the needs and expectations of forced migrant populations. Methods: A mixed methods systematic review will be conducted according to the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) checklist. The research will be conducted in an iterative process among the different authors. With the help of a medical information specialist, a specific search strategy will be formulated for the 6 most relevant databases (ie, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, PsycINFO, and the Google Scholar search engine). A literature search covering studies published between 2000 and 2022 has already been conducted. Two reviewers then proceeded, individually and independently, to conduct a double selection of titles, abstracts, and then full texts. Data extraction will be conducted by a reviewer and validated by a senior researcher. We will use the narrative synthesis method (ie, structured narrative summaries of key themes) to present a comprehensive picture of effective digital health literacy interventions among forced migrant populations and the success factors of these interventions. Results: The search strategy and literature search were completed in December 2022. A total of 1232 articles were identified. The first selection was completed in July 2023. The second selection is still in progress. The publication of the systematic review is scheduled for December 2023. Conclusions: This mixed methods systematic review will provide comprehensive knowledge on effective interventions for digital literacy among forced migrant populations. The evidence generated will further inform stakeholders and aid decision makers in promoting equitable access to and use of digital health resources for forced migrant populations and the general population in host countries.
Background: Digital health literacy (DHL), recognized as a key determinant of health, can influence health and well-being, improve health equity, and reduce health disparities. However, DHL is often limited among forced migrant populations, who usually lack the skills to understand and evaluate health information or to access and use digital health resources appropriately. Objective: We aimed to (1) identify effective interventions designed to improve DHL among forced migrant populations and (2) categorize and describe the characteristics of interventions that aim to improve the abilities of forced migrants or adapt digital health services to meet the needs and expectations of forced migrant populations limited by low levels of DHL. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods systematic review according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020 guidelines, involving an iterative process among the authors. A medical information specialist assisted in developing a search strategy for the 6 most relevant databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, and PsycINFO) and the Google Scholar search engine, covering studies published between 2000 and 2022. Pairs of reviewers selected, individually and independently, titles, abstracts, and then full texts. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by 2 reviewers and validated by a senior researcher. We used narrative synthesis to provide a comprehensive overview of effective DHL interventions for forced migrant populations, highlighting their success factors. Results: We identified 1845 studies, of which only 6 (0.33%) were finally selected for narrative synthesis. Studies were excluded due to irrelevance, lack of primary data, or low methodological quality. The analysis revealed a diverse methodological landscape with a predominance of qualitative approaches aimed at understanding the challenges and needs of forced migrants concerning DHL. The main challenges were associated with cultural, linguistic, and practical contexts. Interventions targeted various groups, including older adults, individuals with low literacy or education, and those with limited digital experience. We identified 4 effective educational intervention categories to enhance DHL among forced migrants: education and training; education and social support; enabling and education; and social, educational, technological, and infrastructural support. Overall, most of the studies (5/6, 83%) reported positive results in terms of improving DHL among forced migrants. Conclusions: This systematic review highlights the importance of improving DHL among forced migrant populations to promote their health and well-being. In addition, it provides comprehensive knowledge about effective interventions conducted with these groups. These findings can inform stakeholders, particularly policy makers, of the need to address low DHL among forced migrant populations. Going forward, these stakeholders need to develop innovative initiatives that rely on holistic approaches and are based on the specific needs of forced migrants to improve equity and health outcomes. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42022373448; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42022373448