Dataset Information

Directed use of the internet for health information by patients with chronic kidney disease: prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Health information technology has become common in the care of patients with chronic diseases; however, there are few such applications employed in kidney disease.The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of a website providing disease-specific safety information by patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease.As part of the Safe Kidney Care (SKC) study, an educational website was designed to provide information on safety concerns in chronic kidney disease. Phase I study participants were provided a medical alert accessory with a unique ID number, the Safe Kidney Care website, and an in-person tutorial on the use of the Internet and accessing the SKC website at baseline. Participants were asked to visit the website and enter their unique ID as frequently as they desired over the next 365 days or until their annual follow-up visit, whichever occurred first. Participants' visits and dwell times on specific safety modules were tracked using embedded webpage PHP scripts linked to a MySQL database, enabling the collection of website usage statistics.Of 108 Phase I participants, 28.7% (31/108) visited the website from 1-6 times during the observation period (median follow-up 365 days). Median access time was 7 minutes per visit (range <1-46) and 13 minutes per person (range <1-123). The three most frequently visited pages were "Renal function calculator", "Pills to avoid", and "Foods to avoid". High school education and frequent Internet use were significantly associated with website entry (P=.02 and P=.03, respectively).Preliminary results show general interest in a Web-based platform designed to improve patient safety in chronic kidney disease.Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01407367; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01407367 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6KvxFKA6M).

SUBMITTER: Diamantidis CJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3841367 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Directed use of the internet for health information by patients with chronic kidney disease: prospective cohort study.

Diamantidis Clarissa Jonas CJ Fink Wanda W Yang Shiming S Zuckerman Marni R MR Ginsberg Jennifer J Hu Peter P Xiao Yan Y Fink Jeffrey C JC

Journal of medical Internet research 20131115 11

<h4>Background</h4>Health information technology has become common in the care of patients with chronic diseases; however, there are few such applications employed in kidney disease.<h4>Objective</h4>The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of a website providing disease-specific safety information by patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease.<h4>Methods</h4>As part of the Safe Kidney Care (SKC) study, an educational website was designed to provide information on safety concerns in ch ...[more]

PMID: 24240617

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Project description:Background and objectivesInternet-based technologies play an increasingly important role in the management and outcome of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The healthcare system is currently flooded with digital innovations and internet-based technologies as a consequence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, information about the attitude of German CKD-patients with access to online tools towards the use of remote, internet-based interactions such as video conferencing, email, electronic medical records and apps in general and for health issues in particular, are missing.Design, setting, participants, and measurementsTo address the use, habits and willingness of CKD patients in handling internet-based technologies we conducted a nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire survey in adults with CKD.ResultsWe used 380 questionnaires from adult CKD patients (47.6% on dialysis, 43.7% transplanted and 8.7% CKD before renal replacement therapy) for analysis. Of these 18.9% denied using the internet at all (nonusers). Nonusers were significantly older (74.4 years, SD 11.4) than users (54.5 years, SD 14.5, p < 0.001), had a lower educational level than users (≥ 12 years: 6.9% versus 47.1%, p < 0.001) and were more often on dialysis. Within the group of internet users only a minority (2.6%) was using video conferencing with their physician, only 11.7% stated that they were using email to report symptoms and 26.6% were using the internet to schedule appointments. Slightly more than one-third of internet users (35.1%) are concerned that their personal medical data are not safe when submitted via the internet.ConclusionsWithin our group of German CKD-patients we found that almost one out of five patients, especially older patients and patients with a lower educational level, did not use the internet at all. The majority of internet users reported in our survey that they have not used internet-based technologies within a medical context so far, but are willing to consider it. Therefore, it seems to be important to introduce and teach motivated CKD-patients the use and benefits of simple and safe internet-based health care technologies.

Project description:BackgroundSmartphones have become a part of universal technology by combining mobile and handheld functions, enabling expanded access to health information sources available on the Internet. The purpose of this study was to describe the pattern of smartphones and Internet use to search for health information by parents of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was applied to 111 parents of patients in a Brazilian pediatric nephrology center. Descriptive assessments were performed on Internet use patterns, and associative analyses were made of the influence of the smartphone use pattern on the search for health information.ResultsOf the 111 participants, 91% (101/111) accessed the Internet, 88% (89/101) searched for health information, and 90% (80/89) searched for CKD information. Smartphones were the most commonly used devices to access the Internet. There was no significant difference between age groups, schooling levels, places of residence and smartphone use to search information about CKD. Physicians continue to be primary sources of information (87%, 88/101), but now they share space with the Internet, which surpassed traditional sources such as books and other health professionals. There seems to be some discomfort on the part of the parents in admitting their research habit to the physician, considering that 65% (52/80) said they did not discuss the fact that they had looked for information on the Internet with their doctor. Obtaining more information about the disease and gaining knowledge regarding its complications were the main reasons that led to performing a search on the Internet, whose results were considered useful by 93% (74/80).ConclusionParents of children with CKD have been using the Internet largely through smartphones to research about CKD, irrespective of age, schooling and place of residence. Given its wide use, the Internet can be an important vehicle for health education and contribute to providing the support needed by parents and patients to cope with the disease.

Dataset Information

Directed use of the internet for health information by patients with chronic kidney disease: prospective cohort study.

Publications

Directed use of the internet for health information by patients with chronic kidney disease: prospective cohort study.

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