Internet Use and Access to Health Information among Canadians: Are the Elderly on the Sidelines?

Johnson, Ernest W.; C, Shanthi Johnson

doi:10.4172/2167-7182.1000367

Cited by 7 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(71 reference statements)

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“…This finding however does not agree with other studies [2,21]. For age, marital and parental status, the difference in results between the two studies could be attributed to the fact that, majority of participants in this study were young people who are not likely to search for health information online but would rather use the internet for entertainment and other purposes and also because they are mostly free from chronic illnesses compared to the aged [22]. It is also important to note that, most of the young persons in this study were males who are not likely to use internet for health information compared to the females.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 94%

Factors influencing online health information seeking behavior among patients in Kwahu West Municipal, Nkawkaw, Ghana

Nangsangna

Vroom

2019

OJPHI

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Over the years, there has been a lot of transformation in the way health care is delivered and how individuals access health. Rapid growth in technology has been attributed to the advancement. The internet has played a key role in the delivery of health care and serves currently as a huge source of health information to individuals regardless of their location, language or time.This cross sectional study was conducted in the Kwahu West Municipal to determine factors influencing online health information seeking behaviors among patients. Three hospitals in the municipality were purposively selected for the study. Outpatients attending these facilities were systematically selected. Data was collected using structured interviewer administered questionnaire.The study findings revealed that internet usage rate among patients was 85.8%. However, only 35.7% of patients ever used the internet to access health information. Sex, education and average monthly income were significant factors associated with online health information seeking. The study also showed that, computer and internet experience factors increased the probability of using internet for health information. After adjusting for confounding factors, being employed, earning higher income and owning computer were positive predictors of online health information seeking.It is important to explore other means of reducing the disparity in information access by improving skill and health literacy among the low social class who cannot afford internet ready devices. Health care providers should recognize that patients are using the internet for health information and should be prepared to assist and promote internet user skills among their patients.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 94%

Factors influencing online health information seeking behavior among patients in Kwahu West Municipal, Nkawkaw, Ghana

Nangsangna

Vroom

2019

OJPHI

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“…Survivors who were younger and had higher education were more likely to email their providers. Likewise, another analysis [11] of the 2000 Canadian National household internet survey found no association between health-related internet use and age, education, or income. Other studies suggest that there is still a gap in health-related internet use based on age and socioeconomic factors in North America [10,17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Not having access to broadband considerably limits one’s quality of internet and access to essential services. In 2000, Johnson et al [11] did not find an association between high-speed internet and health-related internet use in the Canadian national household internet survey. However, longer duration of internet use was associated with decreased likelihood of using the internet as a health resource [11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The internet offers a convenient and cost-efficient way to provide personally tailored health information and services [8,9] and is expected to help reduce social inequalities by providing individuals access to information that might otherwise be inaccessible [10]. However, there is concern that the internet may be perpetuating disparities in access to health services by keeping certain segments of the population, such as seniors, on the sidelines [11]. According to the 2016 General Social Survey by Statistics Canada, a digital divide based on age still exists in Canada, with internet use being the lowest among those aged ≥75 years [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although other studies have examined online health information–seeking behavior in the general population [10,11] and cancer survivors specifically [15], there are no recent studies on the health-related internet use of patients with prostate cancer. Current population-based data describing patterns of health-related internet use among patients with prostate cancer, as well as their confidence in using that information for making health decisions, could inform patient education and health service efforts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Health-Related Internet Use Among Men With Prostate Cancer in Canada: Cancer Registry Survey Study

Bender¹,

Feldman‐Stewart²,

Tong³

et al. 2019

J Med Internet Res

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BackgroundAfter a prostate cancer diagnosis, men want information about their disease and treatment options. The internet offers a convenient means to deliver health information to patients with prostate cancer. However, there are concerns about the use of the internet among this largely senior population.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the patterns and factors associated with the use of the internet as a source of health information among Canadian men with prostate cancer and the features and information required in a website.MethodsPopulation surveys were conducted in four Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario) in 2014-2015. Data analyses included descriptive, bivariable, and multivariable analyses. The Pearson Chi-square and univariable regression were used to examine associations between independent variables and health-related internet use. Correlates of health-related internet use were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsA total of 1362 patients responded across the four provinces. The mean age of respondents was 69 years (SD 8.2). In addition, 82% (n=1071) were internet users and 71% (n=910) used the internet daily. Further, 65% (n=784) used the internet as a source of prostate cancer information, and 40% (n=521) were confident about using information obtained from the internet to make health decisions. Men who used the internet to obtain prostate cancer information were more likely to be active information seekers (odds ratio [OR]: 4.5, 95% CI 2.6-7.8), be confident using information from the internet to make health decisions (OR: 3.6, 95% CI 2.3-5.7), have broadband internet access (OR: 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.7), and have more unmet supportive care needs (OR: 1.05, 95% CI 1.0-1.1). Top features wanted in a website, reported by more than 50% of respondents, were a library of resources (n=893, 65.6%), tools to support treatment decision making (n=815, 59.8%), and tools to help navigate the prostate cancer journey (n=698, 51.2%). Top three topics of information wanted in such a website were treatment options (n=916, 67.3%), disease progression (n=904, 66.4%), and management of side effects (n=858, 63%).ConclusionsOver two-thirds of Canadian patients with prostate cancer surveyed use the internet as a source of health information about prostate cancer, but over half did not feel confident using information from the internet to make health decisions. Being an active information seeker, having confidence in using information from the internet to make health decisions, having broadband internet, and having more unmet supportive care needs were significantly associated with health-related internet use. Future work should examine electronic health literacy interventions as a means to boost men’s confidence in using information from the internet and design websites that include information and features that help men navigate the prostate cancer journey and support treatment decision making and management of side effects.

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Disparities in Patient Portal Use Among Adults With Chronic Conditions

Yoon,

Hur,

Opsasnick

et al. 2024

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceDisparities in patient access and use of health care portals have been documented. Limited research has evaluated disparities in portal use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveTo assess prevalence of health care portal use before, during, and after the most restrictive phase of the pandemic (2019-2022) among the COVID-19 &amp; Chronic Conditions (C3) cohort and to investigate any disparities in use by sociodemographic factors.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study uses data from the C3 study, an ongoing, longitudinal, telephone-based survey of participants with multiple chronic conditions. Participants were middle aged and older-adult primary care patients who had an active portal account, recruited from a single academic medical center in Chicago, Illinois, between 2019 and 2022. Data were analyzed between March and June 2022.Main Outcomes and MeasuresOutcomes of portal use (ie, number of days of portal login by year) were recorded for all study participants by the electronic data warehouse. All parent studies had uniform sociodemographic data and measures of social support, self-efficacy, health literacy, and health activation.ResultsOf 536 participants (mean [SD] age, 66.7 [12.0] years; 336 [62.7%] female), 44 (8.2%) were Hispanic or Latinx, 142 (26.5%) were non-Hispanic Black, 322 (60.1%) were non-Hispanic White, and 20 individuals (3.7%) identified as other race, including Asian, Native American or Alaskan Native, and self-reported other race. In multivariable analyses, portal login activity was higher during the 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the 2019 baseline. Higher portal login activity was associated with adequate health literacy (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.51; 95% CI, 1.18-1.94) and multimorbidity (IRR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17-1.64). Lower portal activity was associated with older age (≥70 years: IRR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55-0.85) and female sex (IRR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66-0.91). Compared with non-Hispanic White patients, lower portal activity was observed among Hispanic or Latinx patients (IRR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.89), non-Hispanic Black patients (IRR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56-0.83), and patients who identified as other race (IRR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.28-0.64).Conclusions and RelevanceThis cohort study using data from the C3 study identified changes in portal use over time and highlighted populations that had lower access to health information. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase in portal use. Sociodemographic disparities by sex and age were reduced, although disparities by health literacy widened. A brief validated health literacy measure may serve as a useful digital literacy screening tool to identify patients who need further support.

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Internet Use and Access to Health Information among Canadians: Are the Elderly on the Sidelines?

Cited by 7 publications

References 41 publications

Factors influencing online health information seeking behavior among patients in Kwahu West Municipal, Nkawkaw, Ghana

Factors influencing online health information seeking behavior among patients in Kwahu West Municipal, Nkawkaw, Ghana

Health-Related Internet Use Among Men With Prostate Cancer in Canada: Cancer Registry Survey Study

Disparities in Patient Portal Use Among Adults With Chronic Conditions

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