scholarly journals Intention to Adopt mHealth Apps Among Informal Caregivers: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fereshteh Ghahramani ◽  
Jingguo Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Intention To Adopt ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk

BACKGROUND Caregiving responsibility can change caregivers’ lives; modify their emotions; and make them feel frustrated, fearful, and nervous, thereby imposing physical and mental stress. Caregiving-related mobile apps provide a platform for obtaining valuable and trusted information, connecting more easily with other caregivers, monitoring medications, and managing appointments, and assessing health requirements and conditions of care receivers. Such apps also incorporate valuable resources that address care for the caregivers. Despite the potential benefits of caregiving-related apps, only a limited number of caregivers have adopted and used them. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore the important factors that affect caregivers’ intentions to integrate related mobile apps into their routine caregiving responsibilities. METHODS Using the protection motivation theory, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 249 participants. Purposive sampling was used to target participants who met 4 inclusion criteria: US residents, owning and using a smartphone, informal caregivers (individuals who give care to a friend or family member without payment) who provided at least 8 hours of care per week in the past year, and those currently not using any mobile app for caregiving purposes. We created a survey using Qualtrics and posted it on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk website. Participants received monetary compensation after successful completion of the survey. RESULTS We found that capabilities and skills of caregivers to use mobile apps, the app’s effectiveness in responding to the needs of caregivers, the degree of control of caregivers over their responsibilities, and the decisions they make for their care receivers can predict their willingness to adopt caregiving-related apps. In addition, the severity of health status and vulnerability of care receivers to unexpected health changes indirectly shape their caregivers’ decisions to adopt and use mobile apps for caregiving purposes. CONCLUSIONS This study explores the important factors that affect informal caregivers’ intentions to adopt related mobile apps into their routine caregiving responsibilities. The results contribute to both mobile health adoption and the caregiving literature, and they offer significant implications for developers, health care practitioners, and policy makers. CLINICALTRIAL

scholarly journals Intention to Adopt mHealth Apps Among Informal Caregivers: Cross-Sectional Study

10.2196/24755 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e24755
Author(s):  
Fereshteh Ghahramani ◽  
Jingguo Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Intention To Adopt ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk

Background Caregiving responsibility can change caregivers’ lives; modify their emotions; and make them feel frustrated, fearful, and nervous, thereby imposing physical and mental stress. Caregiving-related mobile apps provide a platform for obtaining valuable and trusted information, connecting more easily with other caregivers, monitoring medications, and managing appointments, and assessing health requirements and conditions of care receivers. Such apps also incorporate valuable resources that address care for the caregivers. Despite the potential benefits of caregiving-related apps, only a limited number of caregivers have adopted and used them. Objective The aim of this study is to explore the important factors that affect caregivers’ intentions to integrate related mobile apps into their routine caregiving responsibilities. Methods Using the protection motivation theory, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 249 participants. Purposive sampling was used to target participants who met 4 inclusion criteria: US residents, owning and using a smartphone, informal caregivers (individuals who give care to a friend or family member without payment) who provided at least 8 hours of care per week in the past year, and those currently not using any mobile app for caregiving purposes. We created a survey using Qualtrics and posted it on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk website. Participants received monetary compensation after successful completion of the survey. Results We found that capabilities and skills of caregivers to use mobile apps, the app’s effectiveness in responding to the needs of caregivers, the degree of control of caregivers over their responsibilities, and the decisions they make for their care receivers can predict their willingness to adopt caregiving-related apps. In addition, the severity of health status and vulnerability of care receivers to unexpected health changes indirectly shape their caregivers’ decisions to adopt and use mobile apps for caregiving purposes. Conclusions This study explores the important factors that affect informal caregivers’ intentions to adopt related mobile apps into their routine caregiving responsibilities. The results contribute to both mobile health adoption and the caregiving literature, and they offer significant implications for developers, health care practitioners, and policy makers.

scholarly journals Exploration of COVID-19-Based Changes to Caregiver Burden and Caregiving Intensity among Informal Caregivers

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 945-945
Author(s):  
Steven Cohen ◽  
Zachary Kunicki ◽  
Megan Drohan ◽  
Mary Greaney
Keyword(s):  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Unpaid Care ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk

Abstract Individuals providing unpaid care of assistance to family members and friends (e.g. informal caregivers), may have been uniquely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research is needed to examine the pandemic’s effect on informal caregivers’ caregiving intensity and burden. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was conducted to explore self-reported changes in caregiver intensity (CI) and caregiver burden (CB) due to the pandemic to identify factors associated with changes in responsibilities and burdens. In June 2020, informal caregivers providing care to someone aged 50+ (n=835) reported their current and pre-pandemic caregiving intensity and burden. Data were collected via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Chi-square tests were used to examine bivariate associations between pandemic time (pre vs. post) differences in CI and CB. Multinomial regression was used to assess multivariate predictors of changes to CI and CB due to COVID-19. Results showed a significant U-shaped association between initial CB and CB change due to COVID-19. Higher levels of initial CB were associated with both a significant decrease in CB during COVID-19 (OR 1.33, 95%CI 1.06-1.67), and a significant increase in CB during COVID-19 (OR 1.22, 95%CI 1.05-1.43). There were no significant associations between initial CB and changes in CI due to COVID-19, although older caregivers were more likely to experience a decrease in CB due to caregiving (OR 1.02, 95%CI 1.00-1.05). These mixed results suggest that caregivers with high initial CB experienced the most extreme changes to CB due to COVID-19. Future planned analyses will focus on understanding the potential drivers behind these unexpected results.

Ophthalmologists and WhatsApp: Teleophthalmology is already here

2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110026
Author(s):  
Edward Barayev ◽  
Ofri Vorobichik Berar ◽  
Gad Dotan ◽  
Alon Skaat ◽  
Orly Gal-Or ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Records ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Media Messages ◽  
Rapid Responses ◽  
Wide Availability

Purpose: To estimate the extent of WhatsApp utilization using text and media messages for inter-physician consultations among ophthalmologists (residents and specialists) at various clinical settings and its perceived benefits for ophthalmologists and their patients. We also aimed to detect obstacles that concern ophthalmologists when using WhatsApp as a consultation platform. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered survey through Google Forms, which was sent to 660 practicing ophthalmologists during April to May 2020. Results: One hundred and ninety-two ophthalmologists completed the questionnaire, 151 of which (78.6%) were specialists and 41 (21.4%) were residents. Most ophthalmologists reported using WhatsApp at least once a day for both personal and professional use. Residents reported lower rates of contacting patients using WhatsApp than specialists (1.51 ± 0.98 vs 2.72 ± 1.32, p < 0.001). Respondents reported WhatsApp consultations frequently replaced referrals of patients to other physicians, with a median of once a week. 97.8% of residents and 91.4% of specialists reported the ability to share media is a major advantage of WhatsApp over other medias, followed by rapid responses for consultations. Conclusion: Many ophthalmologists already use WhatsApp as a tool for professional consultations with other providers, mainly thanks to its simplicity and wide availability. Residents use it more frequently than specialists, and ranked it higher when asked how much WhatsApp has improved the clinical setting. Policy makers should address concerns brought up by physicians, such as documentation in medical records and proper compensation for consulting ophthalmologists during and after work hours.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional study of characteristics of clinical registries in Australia: a resource for clinicians and policy makers

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewan Md. Emdadul Hoque ◽  
Rasa Ruseckaite ◽  
Paula Lorgelly ◽  
John J McNeil ◽  
Sue M Evans
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Clinical Registries

scholarly journals The Assessment of Fear of COVID-19 among the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 5537
Author(s):  
Siddarth Agrawal ◽  
Mateusz Dróżdż ◽  
Sebastian Makuch ◽  
Alicja Pietraszek ◽  
Małgorzata Sobieszczańska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the mental health and well-being of individuals. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the perceived fear of COVID-19 among older adults in Poland and identify subpopulations with the highest risk of potential mental health disorders. The study was conducted in November–December 2020 on 500 people aged ≥60 years (mean M = 67.9, standard deviation SD = 4.2). In order to collect information on participants’ characteristics and COVID-19-related information, they were asked to complete a questionnaire based on recorded telephone calls. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using our generated and validated seven-item tool: “Scale of fear of COVID-19 infection”, which ranged from 7 to 35. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with the perceived fear of COVID-19. Our results showed that the highest level of fear of COVID-19 infection was observed among women (p = 0.025) and patients taking anticoagulants (p = 0.004). Moreover, older adults with higher anxiety levels were more likely to be fearful of COVID-19 (according to the GAS-10 scale; p < 0.001). These findings may help policy makers and healthcare workers to adapt and implement better mental health strategies to help the elderly fight fear and anxiety during the prevailing pandemic.

scholarly journals Effects of factors of informal care on the utilization of social care insurance benefits: A cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Postal Survey ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Substitute Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Bivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Medium Utilization

Background: Presently in Germany, as there is a shortage of nursing staff, informal caregivers have become highly relevant. Because they often deal with care related burden, legislation was passed to improve caregivers’ situations by offering more supports. Nonetheless, a considerable percentage of caregivers do not utilize it. Methods: Data was collected in Saxony (Germany) from November 2019 to December 2019 by using an online survey and a postal survey (cross-sectional study design; n= 1,716). For analysis bivariate logistic regression (forward method LR, α≤0.05) was performed. Results: The average age of the sample was 61.9 years, 52.9% were female and 45.7% male. Results indicate a medium utilization of care insurance services. Considerable associations were time spent on care and utilization of care allowance (OR: 1.77), such as duration of care degree and utilization of residential care services (OR: 1.88) and substitute care (OR: 1.81). Conclusions: Informal caregivers putting intensive effort into care do tend to utilize services. The resulting questions of why newer informal caregivers do not tend to utilize services and why there is a medium utilization among all caregivers implies that people need to gain better access to services independently of care factors.

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