Access to and Use of Technology for Health: Comparisons Between Appalachian Kentuckians and the General U.S. Population

Introduction: Technology may increase the availability of health information and enable health promoting behaviors. However, lack of access to and use of technology may also exacerbate disparities, particularly in rural communities with limited Internet access. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare Internet access, device ownership, and use of technology for health between Appalachian Kentuckians and the general U.S. population. Methods: Findings from the 2017 Assessing the Health Status of Kentucky (ASK) survey were compared to national estimates from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5, Cycle 1 (2017), with a particular focus on degree of rurality. ASK and HINTS respondent sociodemographics, Internet access, and use of technology for health were assessed using weighted percentages; chi-square P-values were calculated based on weighted counts. Results: Over 80% of both populations reported accessing the Internet. However, Appalachian Kentuckians across all geographic strata were significantly less likely to access the Internet through broadband, cellular networks, and Wi-Fi. The U.S. population reported greater electronic device ownership rates. Appalachian Kentuckians were significantly more likely to search for cancer information online compared to national estimates. The majority of both populations reported not having health apps on their smartphones or tablets. Appalachian Kentuckians reported significantly lower rates of using electronic media to exchange information with health professionals. Implications: Ensuring high-speed Internet access among Appalachian Kentuckians could help this population leverage available technology to overcome barriers to care and reduce health disparities – for example, by enabling the use of health-related apps or electronic means to remotely communicate with providers. Such technologies have the potential to improve the health of medically underserved populations and deserve further attention

Willingness to Share Data From Wearable Health and Activity Trackers: Analysis of the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey Data

BackgroundSharing data from wearable health and activity trackers (wearables) with others may improve the health and behavioral outcomes of wearable users by generating social support and improving their ability to manage their health. Investigating individual factors that influence US adults’ willingness to share wearable data with different types of individuals may provide insights about the population subgroups that are most or least likely to benefit from wearable interventions. Specifically, it is necessary to identify digital health behaviors potentially associated with willingness to share wearable data given that the use of and engagement with various technologies may broadly influence web-based health information–sharing behaviors. ObjectiveThis study aims to identify sociodemographic, health, and digital health behavior correlates of US adults’ willingness to share wearable data with health care providers and family or friends. MethodsData for the analytic sample (N=1300) were obtained from the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey of the National Cancer Institute. Digital health behavior measures included frequency of wearable device use, use of smartphones or tablets to help communicate with providers, use of social networking sites to share health information, and participation in a web-based health community. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of weighted data examined the associations between digital health behaviors and willingness to share wearable device data, controlling for sociodemographics and health-related characteristics. ResultsMost US adults reported willingness to share wearable data with providers (81.86%) and with family or friends (69.51%). Those who reported higher health self-efficacy (odds ratio [OR] 1.97, 95% CI 1.11-3.51), higher level of trust in providers as a source of health information (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.12-3.49), and higher level of physical activity (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.21-3.31) had greater odds of willingness to share data with providers. In addition, those with a higher frequency of wearable use (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.35-3.43) and those who reported use of smartphones or tablets to help communicate with providers (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.09-3.63) had greater odds of willingness to share data with providers. Only higher level of physical activity was associated with greater odds of willingness to share wearable data with family or friends (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.02-2.84). Sociodemographic factors were not significantly associated with willingness to share wearable data. ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that, among US adult wearable users, behavior-related factors, rather than sociodemographic characteristics, are key drivers of willingness to share health information obtained from wearables with others. Moreover, behavioral correlates of willingness to share wearable data are unique to the type of recipient (ie, providers vs family or friends). Future studies could use these findings to inform the development of interventions that aim to improve the use of patient-generated data from wearable devices in health care settings

Cancer communication research in the era of genomics and precision medicine: a scoping review

10.1038/s41436-018-0402-0GENETICS IN MEDICINE2181691-169