Assessing the digital health readiness questionnaire Japanese version: insights from cardiovascular patients in Japan

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised patient awareness of their health and highlighted the importance of remote care. Smartphones and wearable devices are now becoming essential for managing cardiovascular disease. However, low digital health readiness among cardiology patients poses a significant challenge to the effective use of these technologies. This study evaluates digital health readiness and learning ability of Japanese cardiology patients using the Digital Health Readiness Questionnaire (DHRQ), while also assessing its reliability and validity.

This multicentre observational study evaluated digital health readiness among patients with cardiovascular risk factors at St. Marianna University Hospital and Kawasaki Municipal Tama Hospital. The DHRQ was employed, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to validate the measurement model. A total of 210 questionnaires were distributed, with 208 included in the analysis. Internal consistency, measured by Cronbach's alpha, exceeded 0.7 across all factors. Model fit was evaluated with standardised root mean square residual = 0.038, root mean square error of approximation = 0.071, comparative fit index = 0.962, and Tucker-Lewis index = 0.955. Age, education, and smartphone/smartwatch ownership significantly predicted higher DHRQ scores. Older age correlated with lower scores (P < 0.001), while higher education, smartphone (P < 0.001), and smartwatch ownership (P = 0.006) correlated with higher scores. Gender and income were not significant.

The DHRQ proved to be valid in Japan, with education level significantly affecting scores. Improved digital health readiness is suggested to enhance patients' management of health information and communication with healthcare providers, and is expected to be linked to future healthcare systems.