New research from the CDC on health IT use has shown that 74 percent of adults in the U.S. use the Internet, and 61 percent have used the Internet to search for health or medical information. Additionally, 49 percent of adults have accessed a Web site that provides information about a specific medical condition or problem. Adults between the ages of 18 and 49 are more likely than older adults to use HIT. Health information technology (HIT) is the application of information processing — through computer hardware and software — to the storage, retrieval, sharing and use of healthcare information, data, and knowledge for communication and decision-making.
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was the first nationally representative household survey to collect data on the use of HIT. In 2009, NHIS included five questions on HIT. This Health E-Stat provides preliminary estimates of HIT use among men and women aged 18-64, using NHIS data collected from January through June 2009.
From January through June 2009, 51 percent of adults aged 18-64 had used the Internet to look up health information during the past 12 months. Over 3 percent of adults aged 18-64 had used an online chat group to learn about health topics in the past 12 months. Among adults aged 18-64, women were more likely than men to look up health information on the Internet (58.0 versus 43.4 percent) and were also more likely to use online chat groups to learn about health topics (4.1 versus 2.5 percent).
From January through June 2009, almost 5 percent of adults aged 18-64 had communicated with a healthcare provider by e-mail in the past 12 months. Six percent of adults aged 18-64 requested a refill of a prescription on the Internet, and almost 3 percent had made an appointment with a healthcare provider in the past 12 months using the Internet. Among adults aged 18-64, women were more likely than men to request a prescription refill on the Internet (6.6 versus 5.3 percent), make an appointment using the Internet (3.5 versus 1.8 percent), and communicate with a healthcare provider over e-mail (5.6 versus 4.2 percent).
As the percentage of adults in the U.S. who use the Internet continues to grow, the Internet may become increasingly important as a source of health information for consumers. Although use of the Internet has the potential to improve consumer health by facilitating communication between providers and patients, and among providers, previous research has found that many consumers are concerned about security and confidentiality issues related to scheduling medical appointments or accessing personal health records (PHR) online.
Source: CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, February 2, 2010
Health IT in Care Management to Improve Health and Effect Behavior Change
This resource describes the enrollment and engagement of patients in telemedicine programs in a variety of care settings. Experts describe the prerequisites for using technologies to engage patients in chronic disease improvement programs, setting the scene for care management and behavior change, and sharing how technology has enhanced patient engagement and self-management in specific populations.
Health IT in Care Management to Improve Health and Effect Behavior Change is available from the Healthcare Intelligence Network for $107 by visiting our
Online Bookstore or by calling toll-free (888) 446-3530.
