Abstract

Purpose
This study critically examines the influence of digital health literacy on tele-nursing adoption in post-pandemic care systems. Although tele-nursing accelerated during COVID-19, its long-term integration remains uneven. The study investigates whether digital health literacy functions as a predictor, moderator, or barrier in the sustained uptake of tele-nursing technologies among nurses and patients.

Design/Methodology
A quantitative, cross-sectional design was applied, using a mathematically driven modeling approach. Digital health literacy, tele-nursing acceptance, perceived workload shift, and technological self-efficacy were operationalized using validated scales. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and regression diagnostics were applied to determine predictive strength, intervariable relationships, and moderating effects.

Findings
Preliminary results reveal a statistically significant association between digital health literacy and tele-nursing adoption. However, adoption is not purely literacy-dependent; moderating factors—workplace digital infrastructure, organisational readiness, perceived clinical usefulness, and algorithmic trust—shape outcomes. Nurses with high literacy still resist adoption when technological burdens or workflow disruptions increase. The findings question the assumption that improving literacy alone guarantees sustainable tele-nursing integration.

Originality/Value
This study advances post-pandemic discourse by reframing digital health literacy not as a standalone enabler of tele-nursing, but as part of a complex interactional ecosystem involving institutional, cognitive, and infrastructural determinants. The work exposes gaps in current digital-health policies that privilege training while overlooking structural barriers.