Satisfaction With Internet Access, Cancer Information-Seeking, and Digital Health Technology: Cross-Sectional Survey...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Cancer Care

Background:

• High-quality internet is crucial for healthcare delivery and health information access.
• The digital divide exacerbates cancer inequities.
• Internet satisfaction is a key, yet understudied, indicator of digital health tool efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess how home internet connection quality affects cancer health information seeking.
• To examine the association between internet satisfaction and digital health technology use among US adults.
• To identify disparities in digital health experiences related to internet quality.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 2022 data (n=6252).
• Primary predictor: satisfaction with home internet for health needs (dichotomized as high/low).
• Outcome variables: cancer information-seeking experiences, telehealth access, and patient portal use; adjusted logistic regression models were used.

Main Results:

• Low internet satisfaction was linked to increased effort and frustration in seeking cancer information.
• Lower internet satisfaction correlated with decreased patient portal access.
• Younger adults (18-34) were more concerned about information quality than older adults (75+).
• Uninsured individuals had significantly lower odds of telehealth use.

Conclusions:

• Home internet satisfaction is significantly correlated with cancer information-seeking experiences and the use of digital health technologies.
• High-quality internet services are essential for effective healthcare technology implementation and positive patient experiences.
• Addressing the digital divide is critical for equitable access to online health information and digital health tools.