Study: Digital technology access widespread among urban families

Urban families of pediatric patients reported high access to digital technology and the majority expressed interest in receiving healthcare information digitally, according to a study in the July issue of Pediatrics.

In the study, 257 caregivers—73 percent African American and 92 percent Medicaid-insured—took a 16-question survey at two urban pediatric primary care centers during the spring of 2012. The survey looked at families’ access and usage patterns for digital technologies as well as their interest in having health and clinical information available digitally.

In all, about 80 percent of respondents reported having Internet at home and 71 percent had a smartphone. Moreover, respondents reported using e-mail (91 percent), Facebook (78 percent) and Twitter (27 percent).

Respondents said they turn to the internet on a daily basis to gather general medical information (15 percent) and 58 percent reported searching for medical information at least one week prior to a visit to the pediatric center. More than 71 percent of respondents said they would use healthcare information supplied digitally if approved by their child’s medical provider, according to the study.

“Despite potential intermittent access, technological advances may offer additional ways to reach traditionally hard-to-reach populations,” Tori L. DeMartini, MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and colleagues wrote. “It would be worthwhile to follow shifting access patterns over time and to develop a broader research agenda on how digital technology can be optimized to promote health and reduce health disparities.”