Internet Access and Usage Survey among Stroke Survivors and Informal Caregivers (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Web-based telehealth interventions have shown promise for chronic disease management but have not been widely applied to stroke populations. Limited information is known about the accessibility and usability of web-based electronics post-stroke. The purpose was to explore internet access and use of web-based electronics in stroke survivors (SS) and their informal caregivers (IC). OBJECTIVE To describe access and usage of web-based electronics in a cohort of SS and IC. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of 378 participants (SS=251; IC=127). Descriptive statistics were generated. RESULTS Internet-users were on average 8 years younger than non-users (Mean years; SS 59; IC 51) and the majority were Non-Hispanic White men. Two hundred (81%) stroke survivors reported internet access compared to 123 (97%) caregivers (p<0.001). Smart phones were the most common device used to access the internet. CONCLUSIONS Web-based telehealth stroke interventions should consider participant age and race/ethnicity, the role of the IC to positively impact SS internet accessibility and usability, and the use of smartphone applications.