Technology usage, eHealth literacy and attitude towards connected health in caregivers of paediatric cancer

Abstract

While Connected Health (CH) presents an attractive solution to supporting those with paediatric cancer within a burdened healthcare system, uptake has been limited in practice. This study explored the extent to which attitudes towards CH and the ability to identify evidence-based CH interventions could be predicted by technology usage and eHealth literacy for parents of children with cancer and their Health Care Providers (HCPs). A survey of 85 parents and HCPs was conducted consisting of measures of eHealth literacy, attitude towards online sources, electronic device/internet usage and evaluations of existing CH technologies. While respondents frequently interacted with online supports, CH use was limited (30.8%). Multiple regression and t-test analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between technology usage and eHealth literacy on CH use, attitude and perceived quality. Positive attitudes towards CH and strong eHealth literacy skills were found, however, those who had not used CH had significantly lower eHealth literacy than those who had (t(74)=2.08, p=.04 (two-tailed). Further, eHealth Literacy and device use significantly impacted attitude (F(3,75)=12.01, p<.001) and trust in higher quality CH applications (F (2,58)=3.87, p=.03). This suggests that eHealth literacy and device access play a crucial role in facilitating CH use for stakeholders in paediatric cancer. Consideration of how best to support those with differing eHealth literacy when developing CH technologies is needed to support effective employment in practice.