Kruse Robin L, Koopman Richelle J, Wakefield Bonnie J, Wakefield Douglas S, Keplinger Lynn E, Canfield Shannon M, Mehr David R
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia 65212, USA.
Fam Med. 2012 May;44(5):342-7.
Internet-based technologies such as personal health records and patient portals are increasingly viewed as essential for enhancing patient-provider communication and patient-centered care. We examined how primary care patients use the Internet, particularly patient characteristics associated with Internet use.
We surveyed patients in five primary care clinic waiting rooms. Patients who had used email or the Internet in the past month (Internet users) were asked how often they used a computer for a variety of tasks. Participants who reported not using the Internet were asked about several potential barriers to Internet use.
We approached 713 patients, and 638 (89.6%) completed questionnaires; 499 (78%) were Internet users and 139 (22%) were non-users. Lack of computer access and not knowing how to use email or the Internet were the most common barriers to Internet use. Younger age, higher education and income, better health, and absence of a chronic illness were associated with Internet use. After controlling for age and other variables, chronic illness was no longer associated with Internet use.
Internet use was high among our primary care patients. The major factor associated with Internet use among patients with chronic conditions was their age. If older adults with chronic illness are to reap the benefits of health information technology, their Internet access will need to be improved. Institutions that are planning to offer consumer health information technology should be aware of groups with lower Internet access.
诸如个人健康记录和患者门户等基于互联网的技术，越来越被视为加强患者与医疗服务提供者沟通及以患者为中心的医疗服务的关键要素。我们研究了基层医疗患者如何使用互联网，特别是与互联网使用相关的患者特征。
我们在五个基层医疗诊所候诊室对患者进行了调查。询问过去一个月使用过电子邮件或互联网的患者（互联网使用者）使用计算机进行各种任务的频率。询问报告未使用互联网的参与者有关互联网使用的几个潜在障碍。
我们接触了713名患者，638名（89.6%）完成了问卷调查；499名（78%）是互联网使用者，139名（22%）是非使用者。缺乏计算机设备以及不知道如何使用电子邮件或互联网是互联网使用最常见的障碍。年轻、高学历、高收入、健康状况较好以及没有慢性病与互联网使用相关。在控制年龄和其他变量后，慢性病不再与互联网使用相关。
我们的基层医疗患者中互联网使用率很高。慢性病患者中与互联网使用相关的主要因素是他们的年龄。如果患有慢性病的老年人要从健康信息技术中获益，就需要改善他们的互联网接入情况。计划提供消费者健康信息技术的机构应该意识到互联网接入率较低的群体。
