Exploring Functions and Predictors of Digital Health Engagement Among German Internet Users: Survey Study

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Digital health engagement offers support functions like information access, health monitoring, and data sharing.
• While digital tools can reduce information inequalities, disparities may persist in the digital health space.
• Understanding user engagement patterns is key to addressing these digital health inequalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the functions of digital health engagement by categorizing user purposes.
• To identify prerequisites for successful digital health service implementation and use.
• To analyze predisposing, enabling, and need factors predicting digital health engagement.

Main Methods:

• Computer-assisted telephone interviews with 2602 participants in Germany (2020).
• Analysis focused on 2001 internet users, measuring engagement with 19 digital health purposes.
• Principal component analysis identified underlying functions; logistic regression analyzed predictive factors.

Main Results:

• Digital health engagement most frequently involved acquiring information, less so interactive functions like data sharing.
• Two primary functions emerged: 'Information-related empowerment' (66.62% users) and 'Health care-related organization and communication' (52.67% users).
• Both functions were predicted by younger age, female sex, higher socioeconomic status, and chronic health conditions.

Conclusions:

• Despite widespread digital health engagement, existing health disparities are mirrored in the digital realm.
• Predisposing, enabling, and need factors influence the use of different digital health functions.
• Enhancing digital health literacy, particularly in vulnerable groups, is essential to realize the full potential of digital health services.