scholarly journals P.056 Survey of Canadian myotonic dystrophy patients’ access to computer technology

Author(s):  
SA Climans ◽  
C Piechowicz ◽  
WJ Koopman ◽  
SL Venance

Background: Myotonic dystrophy is an autosomal dominant condition affecting distal hand strength, energy and cognition. There is a neuromuscular patient portal under development that has the potential to give voices and resource access to patients, regardless of location via the internet and social media. The current state of access to technology and underlying factors affecting use and interest were explored. Methods: Surveys were mailed to 156 participants with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) through the Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry. The survey questions touched on demographics, technology use, internet use, and interest in the portal. Results: Seventy-two participants (43 female) responded so far and 50% were younger than 46 years. Most (62/72) used the internet and 94% of participants had access to an internet-connected device. Almost half of the responders (34/72) used social media. The complexity and cost of technology were commonly cited reasons not to use technology. The majority of responders (79%) were interested in a myotonic dystrophy patient portal. Conclusions: DM1 patients have access to and use technology such as computers and mobile phones. They expressed interest in a portal that would provide them with access to relevant information such as guidelines, self-management modules, educational videos, and support groups.

Author(s):  
Seth A. Climans ◽  
Christine Piechowicz ◽  
Wilma J. Koopman ◽  
Shannon L. Venance

AbstractBackground: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is an autosomal dominant condition affecting distal hand strength, energy, and cognition. Increasingly, patients and families are seeking information online. An online neuromuscular patient portal under development can help patients access resources and interact with each other regardless of location. It is unknown how individuals living with myotonic dystrophy interact with technology and whether barriers to access exist. We aimed to characterize technology use among participants with myotonic dystrophy and to determine whether there is interest in a patient portal. Methods: Surveys were mailed to 156 participants with myotonic dystrophy type 1 registered with the Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry. Results: Seventy-five participants (60% female) responded; almost half were younger than 46 years. Most (84%) used the internet; almost half of the responders (47%) used social media. The complexity and cost of technology were commonly cited reasons not to use technology. The majority of responders (76%) were interested in a myotonic dystrophy patient portal. Conclusions: Patients in a Canada-wide registry of myotonic dystrophy have access to and use technology such as computers and mobile phones. These patients expressed interest in a portal that would provide them with an opportunity to network with others with myotonic dystrophy and to access information about the disease.


Author(s):  
Habibolah Khazaie ◽  
Javad Yoosefi Lebni ◽  
Jaffar Abbas ◽  
Behzad Mahaki ◽  
Fakhreddin Chaboksavar ◽  
...  

Background In recent years, Internet and social media technology use have emerged as an integral tool of human society, and the evolution of technological integration, cyberspace, and web-technology has become a common practice in educational institutions. Internet usage among students has played an indispensable role in learning behavior; however, the excessive usage of the internet and social media leads to internet addiction. This original study has performed a focalized scrutiny on revealing relationships between internet addiction and associated factors among the students of medicine, dentistry, and pharmaceutical departments. Methods This descriptive and analytical study recruited medical students from the Self-governing Education Incubator of Kermanshah. This survey distributed questionnaires among the respondents’ three departments, and this statistical data reported on 420 valid responses of the respondents. They represent first and second-semester medical students of the academic year 2017–2018. The study selected medical students by applying Cochran's Sample Size Formula through Stratified Random Sampling and cross-sectional research design. The survey has utilized a demographic questionnaire of Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) for the data collection. The study analyzed received data by using SPSS version 23 and performed the descriptive statistics, and analytical statistics (t-test and ANOVA). Results The results of the present study established that the majority of subjects were female students (53.3%), and the average age was 23.84 ± 2.14, including the students of all departments. Besides, findings specified that the overall mean and standard deviation scores were 3.34 and ±0.88. Internet addiction revealed mean and the standard deviation score measured for all students 3.29 ± 0.73, 3.17 ± 0.92, and 3.57 ± 0.64 correspondingly. The survey results illustrated that medical students’ internet addiction substantially correlated with demographic variables, such as age, marital status, the field of study, academic term, significant time of consuming the internet, the key reason of utilizing the internet, and daily usage of the internet ( p < .05). Conclusion The results of the study specified that 25% of medical students showed internet addiction. The students are increasingly using the internet, and it has penetrated among students. The design and implementation of adequate educational programs and the application of internet-based efficiency interventions are essential for both knowledge acquisition and medical students’ healthy behavior.


Author(s):  
Emily Sullivan ◽  
Mark Alfano

People have always shared information through chains and networks of testimony. It is arguably part of what makes us human and enables us to live in cooperative communities with populations greater than 150 or so. The invention of the internet and the rise of social media have turbocharged our ability to share information. This chapter develops a normative epistemic framework for sharing information online. This framework takes into account both ethical and epistemic considerations that are intertwined in typical cases of online testimony. The authors argue that, while the current state of affairs is not entirely novel, recent technological developments call for a rethinking of the norms of testimony, as well as the articulation of a set of virtuous dispositions that people would do well to cultivate in their capacity as conduits (not just sources or receivers) of information.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susruthi Rajanala ◽  
Jennifer Wilson ◽  
Paul Mitchell ◽  
Katharine Garvey ◽  
Laurie Fishman

BACKGROUND There is increasing focus on social media usage among young adult patients. OBJECTIVE This study aims to understand and compare the social media habits of youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS This is a cross-sectional study of subjects from Boston Children’s Hospital outpatient IBD and diabetes clinics. Patients over the age of 18 were invited to complete a brief anonymous survey, which asked about the various ways they use several social media platforms. RESULTS A total of 108 patients were included evenly split across disease type. Eighty-three percent of participants spent at least 30 minutes per day on social media, most commonly on Instagram and Facebook. While the content varied based on the platform, patients with IBD posted or shared content related to their disease significantly less than those with T1D (38% vs 23%, P=0.02) Among Instagram users, IBD patients were less likely to engage with support groups (22% vs 56%, P=0.04). Among Twitter users, IBD patients were less likely to seek disease information (77% vs 29%, P=0.005) Among Facebook users, IBD patients were less likely to post about research and clinical trials (31% vs 65%, P=0.04) or for information seeking (49% vs 87%, P=0.003), IBD patients were also less likely to share their diagnosis with friends or family in person. CONCLUSIONS Young adults with IBD were less willing to share diagnosis, post or explore disease on social media. This could lead to a sense of isolation and should be further explored.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Helen Hansen ◽  
Tor Claudi ◽  
Eirik Årsand

BACKGROUND Despite the increasing prevalence of diabetes and the increasing use of eHealth, little is known about the association between provider-based health services and eHealth among people with diabetes. This is the second study in a project exploring the associations between the use of eHealth and the use of provider-based health services. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate which eHealth services are used among out-of-hours (OOH) visitors with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and whether the use of eHealth (eg, apps, search engines, video services, and social media) was associated with the use of OOH services. We also wanted to investigate associations between anxiety, reassurance, and change in doctor-seeking behavior because of health information acquired from the Internet, and the use of OOH services. METHODS We used data from a 2018 email survey of members of the Norwegian Diabetes Association (18-89 years old). Respondents with T1D were eligible for analyses. Using descriptive statistics, we estimated the use of OOH services and eHealth. Using logistic regressions, we studied the associations between the use of OOH services and the use of eHealth, as well as associations between the use of OOH services and reported consequences of using Internet-based health information. RESULTS In the sample of 523 people with T1D (mean age 47 years), 26.7% (129/484) visited OOH services once or more during the previous year. Among the OOH visitors, search engines were used for health purposes by 86.7% (111/128), apps (health apps in general) by 63.6% (82/129), social media by 45.3% (58/128), and video services by 28.4% (36/127). The use of OOH services was positively associated with self-reported anxiety/depression (odds ratio [OR] 4.53, 95% CI 1.43-14.32) and with the use of apps (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.05-2.85), but not with other types of eHealth. Those who had felt anxious based on information from the Internet were more likely to visit OOH services compared with those who had not felt anxious (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.50-3.78). People who had decided to consult a doctor based on information from the Internet were more likely to visit OOH services (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.64-4.66), compared to those who had not made such an Internet-based decision. CONCLUSIONS People with T1D were frequent users of OOH services, and the OOH visitors were frequent users of eHealth. The use of OOH services was positively associated with the use of health apps, with self-reported anxiety/depression, and with feeling anxious based on information from the Internet. Likewise, deciding to consult a doctor based on information from the Internet was positively associated with OOH visits. The use of eHealth seems to have a significant impact on people with T1D.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian-Dominik Peterlein ◽  
Maren Bosch ◽  
Nina Timmesfeld ◽  
Susanne Fuchs-Winkelmann

BACKGROUND The internet has become one of the most important sources to obtain medical and health information. Parents, whose children are affected by systemic diseases, anomalies, deformities or further orthopaedic defective positions, use the internet to increase their knowledge. OBJECTIVE There is a lack of studies with focus of parental enquiries in the internet before contacting the pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. This study shows current trends and also allows a follow up. METHODS Parental internet search was evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. General habits of internet use, local hardware equipment, age and educational background of the parents were analyzed. In particular, parental use of general medical websites, use of search machines like Google or Yahoo or the use of homepages from support groups was asked. RESULTS A total of 521 questionnaires were completed, this corresponds to a response rate of 96%. One quarter of parents attended the consultation because of a gait anomaly or foot deformity, followed by children with DDH (20%), club foot (9%) and scoliosis (6%). 87% of parents use a Smartphone to get internet access, 68% a Laptop, 55% a Tablet and 45% a Laptop. Especially parents with children with clubfoot looked for health information online (80%), followed by scoliosis 69% (n=20), DDH 67% (n=66), foot deformity / gait anomaly 49% (n= 62). 98% of those using the internet for health medical purpose made use of a search engine, 99% (n=291) of internet users searched through Google, with 44% (n=129) of them describing their research helpful. Concerning use of social media responders of clubfoot children were again the most numerous in number (38%, n=18). 10 of them stated to have exchanged with other social media users and 60% of them evaluated social media as helpful. There were 35 parents who intended to discuss the results with their pediatric orthopedic surgeon. 84% of the responders who used the internet for health research would return to the internet. CONCLUSIONS This study documents that the internet is an important source of information for parents or caregivers in the field of pediatric orthopedics and that the meaning goes even further. Treating physicians will increasingly be confronted with the results of internet research. In particular, parents whose children suffer from club feet frequently research the Internet. CLINICALTRIAL The study was conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki. Prior to the investigations, an approval was secured by the local board of ethics on 8 of September 2017 (AZ 107/17).


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman Al-Zahrani

<p class="apa">The current study aims to understand digital citizenship, based on the assumptions of Ribble (2014), by examining factors affecting participation and involvement in the Internet virtual societies among higher education students. A quantitative approach using a survey questionnaire was implemented. The participants were 174 students from the Faculty of Education at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. The descriptive statistics show that the students generally have good levels of perceived Internet attitude, computer self-efficacy, and digital citizenship, especially in terms of respecting oneself and others online. The factors affecting digital citizenship are computer experience, daily average technology use, students’ attitudes toward the Internet, and computer self-efficacy. Students with higher levels of computer experience are more involved in activities related to educating oneself and connecting with others online compared with students with less experience. Further, students with higher levels of daily average technology use tend to protect themselves and others online more compared with students with lower levels of technology use. Moreover, higher levels of students’ Internet attitude and computer self-efficacy are associated with higher levels of respect for oneself and others, of educating oneself and others, and of total digital citizenship. Based on the current study findings, appropriate recommendations are proposed in terms of policy and practice.</p>


2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Naftel ◽  
Nicole A. Safiano ◽  
Michael I. Falola ◽  
Chevis N. Shannon ◽  
John C. Wellons ◽  
...  

Object The Internet and social media are powerful disseminators of medical information, providing new portals for patient care. The authors of this study evaluated current technology hardware, Internet, and social media use and their socioeconomic relationships among caregivers of children with hydrocephalus. Methods A written survey was completed in the neurosurgical clinics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham by 300 parents of children with shunted hydrocephalus between October 26, 2010, and July 26, 2011. Results Computer use (94.6%), Internet use (91.7%), smartphone use (56.9%), and Internet research on hydrocephalus (81.9%) were prevalent. However, for each of these four utilizations there was significantly lower access by caregivers of minority races (p = 0.04, 0.03, 0.002, and < 0.0001, respectively), lower income (p = 0.02, 0.01, < 0.0001, and < 0.0001, respectively), and lower level of education (p = 0.001, 0.002, < 0.0001, and 0.001, respectively). Personal use of social media was prevalent (95.1% of all Internet users) with use being more prevalent among less-educated than higher-educated caregivers (p = 0.017). Hydrocephalus-related social media use (59.5% of Internet users) was not associated with socioeconomic factors. For hydrocephalus education on the Internet, caregivers chose information websites such as Wikipedia or the Hydrocephalus Association as preferred platforms; these preferences were followed by use of social media websites. Facebook and YouTube were the preferred social media platforms for personal and hydrocephalus-related use. Parents indicate moderate skepticism about the trustworthiness of the Internet; only 21.7% always trust the online sources. Most parents (89.8%) say that they would visit neurosurgeon-recommended websites. Of Internet-using caregivers, 28.6% use the Internet or social media to find hydrocephalus support groups, and 34.8% have used the Internet to communicate with other caregivers who have children with similar conditions. Conclusions Technology hardware, the Internet, and social media are widely used with some skepticism by parents of children with shunted hydrocephalus. Caregivers are interested in physician-recommended Internet resources. Socioeconomic factors including race, income, and level of education reveal a disparity in access to some of these resources, although all groups have relatively high use. Unlike typical technology use, social media use is breaking down the digital divide among ethnic and socioeconomic groups.


Organizacija ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zdenek Smutny

Abstract Background and Purpose: Doing business over the Internet has become increasingly competitive for many companies. The aim of this study is to analyse the current state of utilizing online tools, approaches of Czech companies to the management of online marketing activities and to identify weaknesses and opportunities of these activities. Methodology/Approach: The paper presents empirical research that uses two different approaches in investigation: (1) descriptive quantitative research of current state, based on examination of websites of a sample of 4,584 Czech companies and (2) questionnaire survey among 161 Czech companies which do business via the Internet. Results: There is a large gap that currently exist between the use of social media and its connection to marketing activities. The competitive level of the use of social media in the Czech Republic is still low compared to the USA companies. The online marketing management (OMM) of the majority of companies rely on individual assessment and do not use any metrics or management methodologies. One of the main problems of OMM is the ever increasing number of tools used in marketing activities as well as low possibility of a broader perspective on the success of cross channel marketing activities. Conclusion: In the future, it is expected that a large number of Czech companies will increasingly use online tools as social media for their marketing activities. In the context of this development they cannot rely only on individual assessment to manage these activities as they do currently, but they will have to use comprehensive tools or methodologies. Based on this, we can conclude that Czech companies still have enough opportunities for a better use of online tools for marketing purposes.


Author(s):  
Pankarn Panachuenvongsak ◽  
Olusoyi Richard Ashaye

Purchasing via the internet is one of the most rapidly growing forms of shopping, which has overcome traditional retailing since late 1998. In this chapter, factors related to online and social media shopping and the benefits of using social media will be discussed. Instagram application, tendency of using brand name, online consumer behaviour, and Thai consumer behaviour towards the use of social media will also be illustrated to review what the key factors important in online shopping mentioned in previous research are.


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