Mojtahedi Zahra, Shen Jay J
Department of Healthcare Administration and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA.
Center for Health Equity Research, Research Capacity Core, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024 Oct 28. doi: 10.1007/s40615-024-02219-2.
Informal caregivers can leverage digital health technologies to support their own health while also assisting patients, particularly those with mental or physical challenges. This study investigated the sociodemographic factors associated with the use of digital health technology among informal caregivers.
Data from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were examined for this cross-sectional study. The survey identified key outcomes related to the use of online medical records, health apps, digital wearable health devices, and the digital sharing of health information with professionals, on social media, or with others facing similar health issues. Sociodemographic factors (gender, race/ethnicity, feelings of one's household income, education, and census division) were also analyzed. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were employed. A total of 831 individuals were included, representing about 36,960,385 national informal caregivers in 2022.
Caregivers with a high school education or less (vs. those with at least some college education) and non-Hispanic Black caregivers (vs. non-Hispanic White caregivers) were significantly less likely to be offered access to online medical records by their healthcare providers. Additionally, online medical record usage was lower among caregivers with high school education or less, but higher among caregivers aged 50-64 (vs. those aged 35-49). Caregivers with a high school education or less were less likely to use health apps and digital wearable health devices, but more likely to share personal health information on social media. Men caregivers, those aged 50-64 and over 65 (vs. the 35-49 age group), and caregivers who were dissatisfied with their income were less likely to use digital wearable health devices.
The findings underscore disparities in the utilization of caregivers' digital health technology, particularly in digital wearable health devices. Recognizing and addressing these disparities are crucial for tailoring interventions to enhance equitable access to digital health technology among diverse informal caregiver populations.
非正式照护者可以利用数字健康技术来维护自身健康，同时也能辅助患者，尤其是那些有精神或身体挑战的患者。本研究调查了与非正式照护者使用数字健康技术相关的社会人口学因素。
本横断面研究分析了2022年健康信息国家趋势调查（HINTS）的数据。该调查确定了与使用在线医疗记录、健康应用程序、数字可穿戴健康设备以及在社交媒体上或与面临类似健康问题的其他人与专业人员进行健康信息数字共享相关的关键结果。还分析了社会人口学因素（性别、种族/族裔、家庭收入感受、教育程度和普查区）。采用加权多变量逻辑回归模型。共纳入831人，代表2022年约36,960,385名全国非正式照护者。
高中及以下学历的照护者（与至少接受过一些大学教育的照护者相比）以及非西班牙裔黑人照护者（与非西班牙裔白人照护者相比）从医疗服务提供者处获得在线医疗记录访问权限的可能性显著更低。此外，高中及以下学历的照护者在线医疗记录使用率较低，但50 - 64岁的照护者（与35 - 49岁的照护者相比）使用率较高。高中及以下学历的照护者使用健康应用程序和数字可穿戴健康设备的可能性较小，但在社交媒体上分享个人健康信息的可能性较大。男性照护者、50 - 64岁及65岁以上的照护者（与35 - 49岁年龄组相比）以及对收入不满意的照护者使用数字可穿戴健康设备的可能性较小。
研究结果强调了照护者数字健康技术使用方面的差异，尤其是在数字可穿戴健康设备方面。认识并解决这些差异对于定制干预措施以促进不同非正式照护者群体公平获取数字健康技术至关重要。
