"Despite the amount of online health information, there are several barriers that limit the Internet's adoption as a source of health information. One of these barriers is highlighted in conceptualizations of the digital divide which include the differential possession of Internet skills, or "eHealth literacy". Most measures of Internet skills among populations at large use self-assessments. The research discussed here applies a multifaceted definition of Internet skills and uses actual performance tests."
Mobile interactive technology (such as texting) has great potential to reach users with limited health literacy skills, and the team at ODPHP is actively exploring how we can use mobile to communicate important health messages. Recent mobile campaigns, such as TXT4BABY and KNOWIT have shown promise in this regard.
That said, the digital divide is still very much a reality and more research is needed to assess the reach and impact of mobile health