Digital Technology Use for Health and eHealth Literacy in a Very Remote Aboriginal Community in the Northern Territory, Australia: A Community-Based Study

Vishnu Khanal; Emily Saurman; Nicki Newton; Amy Von Huben; Kureisha Wilson; Josielli Comachio; Karina Coombes; Alexandar Puruntatameri; Sarah Norris; Meredith Makeham; Michelle Dickson; Sean Taylor; Paul Burgess; Tamsin Cockayne; David Reeve; David Edwards; Alison Lloyd; John Wakerman; Tim Shaw; Deborah Russell

doi:10.1111/ajr.70210

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Digital Technology Use for Health and eHealth Literacy in a Very Remote Aboriginal Community in the Northern Territory, Australia: A Community-Based Study

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Digital Technology Use for Health and eHealth Literacy in a Very Remote Aboriginal Community in the Northern Territory, Australia: A Community-Based Study

Vishnu Khanal, Emily Saurman, Nicki Newton, Amy Von Huben, Kureisha Wilson, Josielli Comachio, Karina Coombes, Alexandar Puruntatameri, Sarah Norris, Meredith Makeham, …

Australian Journal of Rural Health, Vol.34(3), pp.1-11

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70210

PMID: 42186261

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Abstract

Introduction Digital technologies can significantly improve access to healthcare, education and social services. However, there is limited evidence on the extent of ownership and use of digital devices in remote Aboriginal communities. This study aimed to examine digital technology use, internet availability and use, intention to use technology for health and eHealth literacy in a very remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Methods A face-to-face community-based structured survey was implemented by local Aboriginal community-based researchers in a very remote island community of the NT. Results Approximately 20% (n = 46) of the community participated in the study. Seventeen respondents did not own a digital device. While 17 reported having no internet access, two-thirds of those who had internet access (n = 29) were using prepaid mobile data. Twenty-three of the participants reported accessing health information online and eight reported having received a text message reminder about a health appointment. Only three individuals did not want to use a digital device for health. The mean score for eHealth literacy was 23.7; range 8–40. Overall, younger respondents (18–44 years) had higher eHealth literacy than those aged 45 and over. Conclusion The use of digital technologies was common; however, its application for healthcare was limited, despite community members' interest in using devices to access health information. Limited use, together with low eHealth literacy scores, and gaps in internet connectivity and mobile phone ownership suggest unmet needs for more accessible community digital infrastructure (e.g., community WiFi), and greater personal access to devices.

Details

Title: Digital Technology Use for Health and eHealth Literacy in a Very Remote Aboriginal Community in the Northern Territory, Australia: A Community-Based Study
Authors: Vishnu Khanal (Corresponding Author) - Charles Darwin University
Emily Saurman - The University of Sydney
Nicki Newton - University of the Sunshine Coast
Amy Von Huben - The University of Sydney
Kureisha Wilson - Charles Darwin University
Josielli Comachio - The University of Sydney
Karina Coombes - Charles Darwin University
Alexandar Puruntatameri - Charles Darwin University
Sarah Norris - The University of Sydney
Meredith Makeham - The University of Sydney
Michelle Dickson - The University of Sydney
Sean Taylor - The University of Melbourne
Paul Burgess - Northern Territory Health Services
Tamsin Cockayne - Northern Territory Health Services
David Reeve - Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory (Australia)
David Edwards - The University of Sydney
Alison Lloyd - Northern Territory Health Services
John Wakerman - Charles Darwin University
Tim Shaw - The University of Sydney
Deborah Russell - Charles Darwin University
Publication details: Australian Journal of Rural Health, Vol.34(3), pp.1-11
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1111/ajr.70210
ISSN: 1440-1584
PMID: 42186261
Copyright note: © 2026 The Author(s). Australian Journal of Rural Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of National Rural Health Alliance Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Data Availability: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
Grant note: This is a collaborative project among multiple partners in Australia: the Australia Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Department of Health—Northern Territory Government, Primary Health Care Network Northern Territory, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliances Northern Territory, Healthdirect, Australia Digital Health Agency, Menzies School of Health Research and The University of Sydney. The current project is supported by the Digital Health CRC Limited (DHCRC). DHCRC is funded under the Australian Commonwealth's Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program.
Organisation Unit: Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991239299202621
Output Type: Journal article

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