A Survey of the Prevalence of Cell Phones Capable of Receiving Health Information among Patients Presenting to an Urban Emergency Department

Kwon, Nancy; Colucci, Ashley C.; Gulati, Rajneesh; Shawn, Lauren K.; Kasahara, Yoshimitsu; Bakhar, A. El; Simons, Erica; Wall, Stephen P.

doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2012.09.041

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…A recent study of adult mental health outpatients in the United States, the majority of whom were from low-income households, found that nearly 80% had a mobile phone [ 6 ]. Advanced-feature mobile phone ownership was lower (17%) in that study, however, and our rate was also higher than that found in a survey of an urban emergency department where 50% of patients had an Internet-enabled mobile phone [ 8 ]. Advanced-feature mobile phone ownership is rapidly increasing and if these studies were repeated, rates may be higher.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

Barriers to Office-Based Mental Health Care and Interest in E-Communication With Providers: A Survey Study

Rai

Vigod²,

Hensel³

2016

JMIR Ment Health

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BackgroundWith rising availability and use of Internet and mobile technology in society, the demand and need for its integration into health care is growing. Despite great potential within mental health care and growing uptake, there is still little evidence to guide how these tools should be integrated into traditional care, and for whom.ObjectiveTo examine factors that might inform how e-communication should be implemented in our local outpatient mental health program, including barriers to traditional office-based care, patient preferences, and patient concerns.MethodsWe conducted a survey in the waiting room of our outpatient mental health program located in an urban, academic ambulatory hospital. The survey assessed (1) age, mobile phone ownership, and general e-communication usage, (2) barriers to attending office-based appointments, (3) preferences for, and interest in, e-communication for mental health care, and (4) concerns about e-communication use for mental health care. We analyzed the data descriptively and examined associations between the presence of barriers, identifying as a social media user, and interest level in e-communication.ResultsRespondents (N=68) were predominantly in the age range of 25-54 years. The rate of mobile phone ownership was 91% (62/68), and 59% (40/68) of respondents identified as social media users. There was very low existing use of e-communication between providers and patients, with high levels of interest endorsed by survey respondents. Respondents expressed an interest in using e-communication with their provider to share updates and get feedback, coordinate care, and get general information. In regression analysis, both a barrier to care and identifying as a social media user were significantly associated with e-communication interest (P=.03 and P=.003, respectively). E-communication interest was highest among people who both had a barrier to office-based care and were a social media user. Despite high interest, there were also many concerns including privacy and loss of in-person contact.ConclusionsA high burden of barriers to attending office-based care paired with a high interest in e-communication supports the integration of e-communication within our outpatient services. There may be early adopters to target: those with identified barriers to office-based care and who are active on social media. There is also a need for caution and preservation of existing services for those who choose not to, or cannot, access e-services.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

Barriers to Office-Based Mental Health Care and Interest in E-Communication With Providers: A Survey Study

Rai

Vigod²,

Hensel³

2016

JMIR Ment Health

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“…This research also suggests that potentially assisting ED patients without information technology is an option to extend services such as the Lifeline Program for Low-Income Consumers [ 103 ]. This study increases confidence in the utility of new media for health care services, interventions, and follow up [ 61 , 104 105 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Emergency Medicine Patient Use of New Media

Post¹,

Vaca²,

Biroscak³

et al. 2015

JMIR mHealth uHealth

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BackgroundLittle is known about “new media” use, defined as media content created or consumed on demand on an electronic device, by patients in emergency department (ED) settings. The application of this technology has the potential to enhance health care beyond the index visit.ObjectiveThe objectives are to determine the prevalence and characteristics of ED patients’ use of new media and to then define and identify the potential of new media to transcend health care barriers and improve the public’s health.MethodsFace-to-face, cross-sectional surveys in Spanish and English were given to 5,994 patients who were sequentially enrolled from July 12 to August 30, 2012. Data were collected from across a Southern Connecticut health care system’s 3 high-volume EDs for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 6 weeks. The EDs were part of an urban academic teaching hospital, an urban community hospital, and an academic affiliate hospital.ResultsA total of 5,994 (89% response rate) ED patients reported identical ownership of cell phones (85%, P<.001) and smartphones (51%, P<.001) that were used for calling (99%, P<.001). The older the patient, however, the less likely it was that the patient used the phone for texting (96% vs 16%, P<.001). Income was positively associated with smartphone ownership (P<.001) and the use of health apps (P>.05) and personal health records (P<.001). Ownership of iPhones compared to Android phones were similar (44% vs 45%, P<.05). Race and ethnicity played a significant role in texting and smartphone ownership, with Hispanics reporting the highest rates of 79% and 56%, respectively, followed by black non-Hispanics at 77% and 54%, respectively, and white non-Hispanics at 65% and 42%, respectively (P<.05).ConclusionsThere is a critical mass of ED patients who use new media. Older persons are less comfortable texting and using smartphone apps. Income status has a positive relationship with smartphone ownership and use of smartphone apps. Regardless of income, however, texting and ownership of smartphones was highest for Latinos and black non-Latinos. These findings have implications for expanding health care beyond the ED visit through the use of cell phones, smartphones, texting, the Internet, and health care apps to improve the health of the public.

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“…Accessibility to smartphones, mobile devices capable of accessing the Internet, is high even among economically disadvantaged populations. 1-4 In 2012, it was reported that 71% of parents or guardians seeking care for their children at an urban, underserved primary care center had access to smartphones. 5 This was in sharp contrast to a study conducted in 2009 in which a majority of adult patients at an urban health center reported never using the Internet or text messaging.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunities for and Barriers to Using Smartphones for Health Education Among Families at an Urban Primary Care Clinic

Real

Rounce

Henize

et al. 2018

Clin Pediatr (Phila)

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Mobile technology is omnipresent in society. Though studies suggest increased rates of smartphone accessibility, current access and barriers to smartphone usage at urban primary care clinics remains unclear. A self-administered survey was distributed to families presenting to an urban, underserved pediatric primary care clinic in spring 2017. Survey questions related to smartphone ownership and barriers to usage. A total of 273 parents completed the survey. Ninety-five percent of participants owned a smartphone. Fifty-eight percent of participants identified no barriers to smartphone usage. Among those who identified one or more barriers (n = 108), difficulties were primarily related to Wi-Fi access (46%), available phone memory (45%), existing phone data (28%), and discomfort with technology (11%). The majority of parents (59%) were interested in using a smartphone to learn about their child's health. In conclusion, there is opportunity to transform health education utilizing mobile devices, though disparities to usage should be considered.

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A Survey of the Prevalence of Cell Phones Capable of Receiving Health Information among Patients Presenting to an Urban Emergency Department

Cited by 12 publications

References 26 publications

Barriers to Office-Based Mental Health Care and Interest in E-Communication With Providers: A Survey Study

Barriers to Office-Based Mental Health Care and Interest in E-Communication With Providers: A Survey Study

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Emergency Medicine Patient Use of New Media

Opportunities for and Barriers to Using Smartphones for Health Education Among Families at an Urban Primary Care Clinic

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