Cherrez-Ojeda Ivan, Mata Valeria L, Vanegas Emanuel, Felix Miguel, Bernstein Jonathan A, Jiménez Fanny M, Calderon Juan Carlos, Chedraui Peter, Gavilanes Antonio Wd
Universidad Espíritu Santo. Samborondón, Ecuador.
Respiralab Research Group, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Int J Telemed Appl. 2020 Jan 23;2020:2489890. doi: 10.1155/2020/2489890. eCollection 2020.
Advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) represent a growing platform for the expansion of healthcare related services, but there is little information on how generational differences might account for distinct patterns of use and interest for ICTs. Our study aims to achieve a better understanding on how generational cohorts might influence the use and preferences for ICTs among patients with obstructive lung diseases in Latin America.
We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey-based study, involving 968 patients with obstructive lung diseases (OLD) in Latin America. Patients rated their frequency of use and preferences of ICTs through a modified version of the Michigan Questionnaire. Chi-square test for association and adjusted regression analyses were performed.
Of all, 63.6% of participants had Internet access. Younger generations, in particular Generation Z and Millennials, had the highest rate of Internet access and smartphone ownership, as well as of overall frequency of ICT use. Web-based Internet was found to be the main source to seek information about the disease (36.9%) across all generational cohorts. Generation Z and Millennials presented the highest odds to be interested in using Twitter (OR 31.79 and 8.86) for receiving health-related information, and email (OR 4.87 and 4.86) as the preferred way to ask physicians information related to their disease through ICTs.
Generational cohorts influence the use and preferences for ICTs among patients with obstructive lung diseases. Younger generational cohorts were associated with higher access to the Internet and smartphone ownership, as well as higher interest for using ICTs to receive and ask for health-related information.
信息通信技术（ICTs）的进步为医疗相关服务的扩展提供了一个不断发展的平台，但关于代际差异如何解释ICTs使用和兴趣的不同模式的信息却很少。我们的研究旨在更好地了解代际群体如何影响拉丁美洲阻塞性肺病患者对ICTs的使用和偏好。
我们开展了一项基于匿名横断面调查的研究，涉及拉丁美洲968名阻塞性肺病（OLD）患者。患者通过密歇根问卷的修改版对ICTs的使用频率和偏好进行评分。进行了关联的卡方检验和调整后的回归分析。
总体而言，63.6%的参与者可以访问互联网。较年轻的一代，特别是Z世代和千禧一代，互联网接入率、智能手机拥有率以及ICTs的总体使用频率最高。在所有代际群体中，基于网络的互联网被发现是获取疾病信息的主要来源（36.9%）。Z世代和千禧一代对使用推特（优势比分别为31.79和8.86）获取健康相关信息以及将电子邮件（优势比分别为4.87和4.86）作为通过ICTs向医生询问与自身疾病相关信息的首选方式表现出最高的兴趣。
代际群体影响阻塞性肺病患者对ICTs的使用和偏好。较年轻的代际群体与更高的互联网接入率、智能手机拥有率以及使用ICTs获取和询问健康相关信息的更高兴趣相关。
