title: Perceptions of Medicaid beneficiaries regarding the usefulness of accessing personal health information and services through a patient Internet portal.
abstract: Increasing emphasis is being placed on the importance of information technology to improve the safety and quality of healthcare. However, concern is growing that these potential benefits will not be equally distributed across the population because of a widening digital divide along racial and socioeconomic lines. In this pilot study, we surveyed 31 Medicaid beneficiaries to ascertain their interest in and projected use of a healthcare patient Internet portal. We found that most Medicaid beneficiaries (or their parents/guardians) were very interested in accessing personal health information about themselves (or their dependents) online. Additionally, they were interested in accessing healthcare services online. We also found that many Medicaid beneficiaries have Internet access, including a slight majority with access to high-speed Internet connections. Our study revealed significant concern about the privacy of online health information.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Informatics, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Lobach
authors.forename: Janese M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Macri
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simo
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Anstrom
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D000328:Adult; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003219:Confidentiality; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D009862:Online Systems; D010865:Pilot Projects