292 Health information technology utilization among skin cancer patients

Background Studies have previously shown that rural cancer patients are diagnosed at later stages of disease. This delay is felt throughout treatment and follow-up, reflected in the fact that rural patients often have poorer clinical outcomes compared with their urban counterparts. Objective Few studies have explored whether there is a difference in cancer patients’ current use of health information technology tools by residential location. Methods Data from 7 cycles of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS, 2003-2017) were merged and analyzed to examine whether differences exist in managing electronic personal health information (ePHI) and emailing health care providers among rural and urban cancer patients. Geographic location was categorized using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCCs). Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine whether associations existed between rural/urban residency and use of health information technology among cancer patients. Results Of the 3031 cancer patients/survivors who responded across the 7 cycles of HINTS, 797 (26.9%) resided in rural areas. No difference was found between rural and urban cancer patients in having managed ePHI in the past 12 months (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.43-1.40). Rural cancer patients were significantly less likely to email health care providers than their urban counterparts (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32-0.84). Conclusions The digital divide between rural and urban cancer residents does not extend to general ePHI management; however, electronic communication with providers is significantly lower among rural cancer patients than urban cancer patients. Further research is needed to determine whether such disparities extend to other health information technology tools that might benefit rural cancer patients as well as other chronic conditions.

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Sociodemographic disparities in the use of health information technology by a national sample of head and neck cancer patients

American Journal of Otolaryngology ◽

10.1016/j.amjoto.2021.103308 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 103308

Author(s):

Tarun K. Jella ◽

Thomas B. Cwalina ◽

Rishi R. Sachdev ◽

Todd Otteson ◽

Nicole Fowler

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Head And Neck Cancer ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Health Information Technology ◽

Health Information ◽

Neck Cancer ◽

National Sample ◽

Sociodemographic Disparities

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Differences in Electronic Personal Health Information Tool Use Between Rural and Urban Cancer Patients in the United States: Secondary Data Analysis (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.17352 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra Greenberg-Worisek ◽

Liaa Ferede ◽

Joyce Balls-Berry ◽

Ian Marigi ◽

Emily Valentin Mendez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Information Technology ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Health Information Technology ◽

Health Information ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Personal Health Information ◽

Personal Health ◽

Care Providers ◽

Rural And Urban

BACKGROUND Studies have previously shown that rural cancer patients are diagnosed at later stages of disease. This delay is felt throughout treatment and follow-up, reflected in the fact that rural patients often have poorer clinical outcomes compared with their urban counterparts. OBJECTIVE Few studies have explored whether there is a difference in cancer patients’ current use of health information technology tools by residential location. METHODS Data from 7 cycles of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS, 2003-2017) were merged and analyzed to examine whether differences exist in managing electronic personal health information (ePHI) and emailing health care providers among rural and urban cancer patients. Geographic location was categorized using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCCs). Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine whether associations existed between rural/urban residency and use of health information technology among cancer patients. RESULTS Of the 3031 cancer patients/survivors who responded across the 7 cycles of HINTS, 797 (26.9%) resided in rural areas. No difference was found between rural and urban cancer patients in having managed ePHI in the past 12 months (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.43-1.40). Rural cancer patients were significantly less likely to email health care providers than their urban counterparts (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32-0.84). CONCLUSIONS The digital divide between rural and urban cancer residents does not extend to general ePHI management; however, electronic communication with providers is significantly lower among rural cancer patients than urban cancer patients. Further research is needed to determine whether such disparities extend to other health information technology tools that might benefit rural cancer patients as well as other chronic conditions.

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Outcomes of health information technology utilization in nursing homes: Do implementation processes matter?

Health Informatics Journal ◽

10.1177/1460458219899556 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 2249-2264

Author(s):

Darla J Hamann ◽

Karabi C Bezboruah

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Health Information Technology ◽

Health Information ◽

Medical Record ◽

Electronic Medical Record ◽

Change Leadership ◽

Quality Outcomes ◽

Technology Utilization ◽

Implementation Processes

We examined several outcomes of health information technology utilization in nursing homes and how the processes used to implement health information technology affected these outcomes. We hypothesized that one type of health information technology, electronic medical records, will improve efficiency and quality-related outcomes, and that the use of effective implementation processes and change leadership strategies will improve these outcomes. We tested these hypotheses by creating an original survey based on the case study literature, which we sent to the top executives of nursing homes in seven US states. The administrators reported that electronic medical record adoption led to moderately positive efficiency and quality outcomes, but its adoption was unrelated to objective quality indicators obtained from regulatory agencies. Improved electronic medical record implementation processes, however, were positively related to administrator-reported efficiency and quality outcomes and to decreased deficiency citations at the next regulatory visit to the nursing home. Change leadership processes did not matter as much as technological implementation processes.

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