Department of Surgery, Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA.
Department of Medicine, Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA.
J Geriatr Oncol. 2014 Apr;5(2):185-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2013.11.001. Epub 2013 Dec 7.
In this rapidly changing electronic era, we implemented a study to define age dependent variations in access and use of internet and electronic devices in the exchange of healthcare related information (HRI) and coordination of clinical care (CCC) among elderly patients with cancer.
Data was collected through independently completed surveys after obtaining IRB approval in a single institution cancer center over a 4-month period. Questions regarding internet access and use of electronic media to obtain health information and coordinate care were distributed. The sample was divided in two groups based upon the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of geriatric patients: <65 y/o (group A) and ≥65 y/o (group B).
One hundred and twenty-six surveys were analyzed with 70 patients in group A and 56 patients in group B. Access to the internet and use of email was higher in the group A (77% and 71%) vs. group B (36% and 33%, p < 0.001). The younger group felt more comfortable using the internet when compared to the older group (70% vs. 40%, p = 0.01). Patients in group B demonstrated a strong preference for paper copy based HRI and phone calls to CCC than text messages or emails (73% and 95%, p < 0.001). A transition zone between the ages of 65 and 70 years was defined to identify patients with increased reluctance to use internet and electronic devices to exchange HRI and CCC.
The data supports that there is an age-defined underutilization of internet and electronic devices to exchange HRI and CCC. Characterization of this age-dependent transition zone will enable clinicians to identify patients who may not interface well with electronic communication strategies, and to improve delivery of HRI and CCC for the elderly.
在这个快速变化的电子时代，我们进行了一项研究，以确定年龄对老年癌症患者在医疗相关信息（HRI）交换和临床护理协调中使用互联网和电子设备的影响。
在一家癌症中心，我们通过独立完成的调查收集数据，并在获得机构审查委员会（IRB）批准后，在 4 个月的时间内进行。我们分发了有关互联网访问和使用电子媒体获取健康信息和协调护理的问题的调查问卷。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）对老年患者的定义，我们将样本分为两组：<65 岁（A 组）和≥65 岁（B 组）。
我们分析了 126 份调查问卷，其中 A 组有 70 名患者，B 组有 56 名患者。A 组患者（77%和 71%）比 B 组患者（36%和 33%）更能访问互联网和使用电子邮件（p<0.001）。年轻组比老年组更愿意使用互联网（70%比 40%，p=0.01）。B 组患者更喜欢纸质 HRI 和电话进行 CCC，而不是短信或电子邮件（73%和 95%，p<0.001）。我们定义了一个 65-70 岁之间的过渡年龄，以确定那些不太愿意使用互联网和电子设备交换 HRI 和 CCC 的患者。
数据表明，存在一种按年龄定义的对互联网和电子设备的利用不足，以交换 HRI 和 CCC。对这个年龄相关的过渡区域的描述将使临床医生能够识别那些可能无法与电子沟通策略很好地互动的患者，并改善老年人的 HRI 和 CCC 服务。
