Veteran Preferences and Willingness to Share Patient-Generated Health Data

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Patient-Generated Health Data (PGHD)
• Healthcare System Integration

Background:

• Mobile health applications and wearables enable collection of patient-generated health data (PGHD).
• Limited understanding exists regarding patient preferences and willingness to share PGHD with healthcare providers and systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe how patients utilize their PGHD.
• To identify factors influencing patient decisions to share PGHD with a healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional mailed survey supplemented with administrative data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
• A national sample of Veterans utilizing VHA healthcare was surveyed.
• Logistic regression models analyzed factors associated with sharing PGHD with the VHA.

Main Results:

• 47% of Veterans surveyed reported sharing PGHD collected via apps or digital devices with the VHA.
• Veterans were more likely to share PGHD if recommended by their doctor or healthcare team.
• Knowledge that healthcare teams would review and use PGHD in clinical practice increased sharing.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare team recommendations significantly influence patients' willingness to share PGHD.
• Patients are more inclined to share PGHD when assured it will be actively used in their care.
• Engaging healthcare teams is crucial for increasing patient sharing of PGHD within healthcare systems.