Computer access and Internet use by urban and suburban emergency department customers

Patients are increasingly using the Internet (43% in 2000 vs. 70% in 2006) to obtain health information, but is there a difference in the ability of urban and suburban emergency department (ED) customers to access the Internet?

To assess computer and Internet resources available to and used by people waiting to be seen in an urban ED and a suburban ED.

Individuals waiting in the ED were asked survey questions covering demographics, type of insurance, access to a primary care provider, reason for their ED visit, computer access, and ability to access the Internet for health-related matters.

There were 304 individuals who participated, 185 in the urban ED and 119 in the suburban ED. Urban subjects were more likely than suburban to be women, black, have low household income, and were less likely to have insurance. The groups were similar in regard to average age, education, and having a primary care physician. Suburban respondents were more likely to own a computer, but the majority in both groups had access to computers and the Internet. Their frequency of accessing the Internet was similar, as were their reasons for using it. Individuals from the urban ED were less willing to schedule appointments via the Internet but more willing to contact their health care provider via e-mail. The groups were equally willing to use the Internet to fill prescriptions and view laboratory results.

Urban and suburban ED customers had similar access to the Internet. Both groups were willing to use the Internet to access personal health information.