Journal of medical Internet research
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Apr 2017
Connecting Families to Their Health Record and Care Team: The Use, Utility, and Impact of a Client/Family Health Portal at a Children's Rehabilitation Hospital.
Health care portals have the potential to provide consumers with timely, transparent access to health care information and engage them in the care process. ⋯ Overall, the findings show the promise of the portal and the need for ongoing evaluation to show the portal's ultimate potential in enhancing engagement in care and communication with care providers.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Apr 2017
Using Smartphones and Health Apps to Change and Manage Health Behaviors: A Population-Based Survey.
Chronic conditions are an increasing challenge for individuals and the health care system. Smartphones and health apps are potentially promising tools to change health-related behaviors and manage chronic conditions. ⋯ Although there were many smartphone and health app users, a substantial proportion of the population was not engaged. Findings suggest age-related, socioeconomic-related, literacy-related, and health-related disparities in the use of mobile technologies. Health app use may reflect a user's motivation to change or maintain health behaviors. App developers and researchers should take account of the needs of older people, people with low health literacy, and chronic conditions.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Mar 2017
Patient Portals as a Tool for Health Care Engagement: A Mixed-Method Study of Older Adults With Varying Levels of Health Literacy and Prior Patient Portal Use.
Growing evidence that patient engagement improves health outcomes and reduces health care costs has fueled health providers' focus on patient portals as the primary access point for personal health information and patient-provider communication. Whereas much attention has been given to identifying characteristics of older adults who do and do not adopt patient portals and necessary adaptions to portal design, little is known about their attitudes and perceptions regarding patient portal use as a tool for engagement in their health care within the context of health literacy, experience navigating Web-based health information, and previous patient portal use. ⋯ Most of the older adults are interested in using a patient portal regardless of health literacy level, previous patient portal adoption, or experience navigating health information on the Web. Research targeting informal caregivers of older adults who are unable or unwilling to engage with information technology in health care on their own is warranted. Health care organizations should consider tailored strategies to meet the needs of older adults (and their informal caregivers) and explore alternative workflows that integrate patient portal information into phone conversations and face-to-face contact with health care providers.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Mar 2017
Outcomes in Child Health: Exploring the Use of Social Media to Engage Parents in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research.
With the rapid growth of technology and its improved accessibility globally, social media is gaining an increasingly important role in health care. Patients are frequently engaging with social media to access information, share content, and interact with others in online health communities. However, the use of social media as a stakeholder engagement strategy has been minimally explored, and effective methods for involving participants in research on the identification of patient-centered outcomes remain unknown. ⋯ Most participants were highly educated, urban dwelling, and female, limiting diversity and representativeness. The source of referral for most survey respondents was through Facebook or a friend, suggesting the importance of personal connections in the dissemination and uptake of information. User engagement with the Facebook-based discussion threads was inconsistent and difficult to initiate. Although there is substantial interest in the use of social media as a component of an effective patient engagement strategy, challenges regarding participant engagement, representativeness, obtaining buy-in, and resources required must be carefully considered.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · Feb 2017
Perceptions of Menthol Cigarettes Among Twitter Users: Content and Sentiment Analysis.
Menthol cigarettes are used disproportionately by African American, female, and adolescent smokers. Twitter is also used disproportionately by minority and younger populations, providing a unique window into conversations reflecting social norms, behavioral intentions, and sentiment toward menthol cigarettes. ⋯ Examinations of public opinions toward menthol cigarettes through social media can help to inform the framing of public communication about menthol cigarettes, particularly in light of potential regulation by the European Union, US Food and Drug Administration, other jurisdictions, and localities.