Podium · Western Institute of Nursing · 2023
Who uses digital health tools, and who shares their health data, and with whom? A national survey takes a look.
Digital health tools can improve health, but adoption is uneven and people have real concerns about privacy and access. We analyzed a national survey of 3,865 U.S. adults to learn which personal, health, and technology factors are linked to using digital health tools and to sharing health information with providers, with family and friends, or on social media.
We used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 4; N = 3,865), collected February to June 2020, and applied weighted logistic regression to identify factors associated with digital health usage and information-sharing behaviors. Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported using a digital health tool.
Digital health use varies across groups.
People share data differently with providers, family, and social media.
Privacy, access, and experience shape who uses these tools.