Right Information, Right Care, Right Patient, Right Time: Community Preferences to Inform a Self-Management Support...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Patient Self-Management

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for accessible information on respiratory illnesses.
• Differentiating and managing conditions like COVID-19, flu, and common cold presents a challenge.
• A unified self-management approach is crucial for community health resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate community reactions to the "4R" (Right Information, Right Care, Right Patient, Right Time) self-management toolkit.
• To gather insights for developing a mobile e-health application for upper respiratory symptoms.
• To assess the usability and perceived effectiveness of the 4R-Toolkit.

Main Methods:

• The 4R Cold, Flu, and COVID-19 Information Tool (4R-Toolkit) was distributed via an allergy/asthma clinic, a borough president's listserv, and peer recruitment.
• A survey assessed perceptions of the toolkit's accessibility, symptom sharing preferences, social media influence, and e-health literacy.
• Data was collected from a diverse sample of 106 Bronx residents.

Main Results:

• 91% of respondents believed the 4R-Toolkit would aid self-management of upper respiratory symptoms.
• 85% found the toolkit easy to understand, indicating high usability across diverse populations.
• 81% were willing to share symptoms via a 4R-Toolkit smartphone app, showing potential for digital health integration.

Conclusions:

• The 4R-Toolkit provides accessible, accurate information for managing COVID-19, flu, and cold symptoms.
• The tool demonstrates potential for supporting patient self-management and enhancing patient-provider communication.
• It is suitable for diverse users, including those with limited e-health literacy, paving the way for effective e-health app development.