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A hospital-based interactive health communication application for patients with gastrointestinal diseases : preferences for content and predictive factors.

Sieverink, F. (2012) A hospital-based interactive health communication application for patients with gastrointestinal diseases : preferences for content and predictive factors.

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Abstract:To examine the needs of patients with different gastrointestinal diseases regarding possible support services for information, communication, participation and online psychological therapy for an Interactive Health Communication Application (IHCA), and to examine which variables are predictors for the intentions to use the different services. Questionnaires were sent to a sample of 676 patients (diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), liver diseases or intestinal ischemia) of a large regional hospital in the east of the Netherlands. The questionnaire included socio-demographics, health and disease characteristics, health literacy, current disease-related Internet use and the intentions to use seven different support services for an IHCA: (1) information, (2) communication with healthcare providers (HCPs), (3) communication with fellow sufferers, (4) monitoring symptoms, (5) patient decision aids, (6) insight in electronic medical health records and (7) online psychological therapy. The response was 38% (n=254). Almost half (46%) of all respondents had IBD, 31% reported liver diseases, 13% IBS and 10% intestinal ischemia. Mean age was 52 years (SD=14), 60% was female. Of all respondents, 81% was living with a partner and 91% was born in the Netherlands. Most respondents (60%) used the Internet on a daily basis and 61% reported (very) good Internet skills. Mean score on physical health (SF-12) was 43.2 (SD=11.4) and 46.5 (SD=10.8) on mental health. Of all respondents, 74% reported that they would probably visit a hospital-based IHCA a few times a month or a year. Respondents reported the highest intentions to use the information support services (69%), followed by the service to provide insight in the medical health record (65%) and the service for monitoring symptoms with insight from the HCP (62%). Communication with fellow sufferers was the least popular service (18%). Patients with IBD were most interested in using a future IHCA, and were more interested in services for contacting the HCP and accessing their own medical health record. Frequency of Internet use, Internet skills and education were the most important factors in explaining the intention to use the support services. Our study supports the idea that before designing a hospital-based IHCA, it is important to identify the disease- and patient-related needs of a group of patients, in order to determine the content of the IHCA.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Clients:
Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/62209
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