Barriers, Perceptions, and Predictors for Utilizing Health-Related Technology Among Individuals Receiving Radiation Oncology Care.

Abstract

IntroductionFor many people, mobile applications are pivotal to their daily lives. With a constantly increasing number of applications, the utilization of mobile health (mHealth) has augmented various aspects of clinical care outside of traditional clinical appointments, such as patient communication and monitoring. Despite these advancements, widespread adoption of these applications by cancer patients remains limited. This study aims to evaluate radiation oncology patients' access to technology resources and evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on willingness to engage in mHealth.MethodsA survey-based study was conducted among 318 adult radiation oncology clinic patients between 2019 and 2022. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were utilized to identify factors associated with willingness to utilize mHealth.ResultsOn multivariate analysis, factors that impacted patients' willingness to utilize mHealth include age>65 (OR 0.32; p=0.001), new patient status (OR 2.15; p=0.020), annual income>50K (OR 2.16; p=0.032), and smartphone ownership (OR 4.07; p=0.000). The post-COVID cohort showed an increased willingness to utilize mHealth compared to the pre-COVID cohort (OR 1.91; p=0.016). Lastly, a Technology Barrier Score (TBScore) was introduced to identify and quantify barriers that were associated with the reluctance to widespread adoption of mHealth.ConclusionAge, income, patient status, and smartphone ownership impacted radiation oncology patients' willingness to utilize mHealth to report and track symptoms. Significant barriers include technology literacy and time commitment. The TBScore can serve as a valuable tool in identifying patients who may require additional support in the utilization of mHealth.