Willingness to Exchange Health Information via Mobile Devices: Findings From a Population-Based Survey

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Mobile devices offer new avenues for electronic health information exchange between patients and providers.
• Understanding patient willingness to share diverse health data via mobile devices is crucial for effective digital health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine patient willingness to exchange various types of health information using mobile devices.
• To assess the association of sociodemographic factors and trust in clinicians with this willingness.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 3,165 patients from the 2013 Health Information National Trends Survey.
• Utilized multinomial and ordinal logistic regression to analyze willingness to exchange different health information types.

Main Results:

• High willingness observed for appointment reminders, general health tips, and medication reminders.
• Lower willingness for sensitive or complex information like diagnostic details.
• Older adults showed less willingness; education, income, and trust correlated with willingness.

Conclusions:

• Patient willingness to exchange health information via mobile devices varies by information type and demographic factors.
• Age, socioeconomic status, and trust in professionals are key predictors of mobile health information exchange.
• Tailoring mobile health technologies requires consideration of both information sensitivity and user demographics.