title: Capacity and willingness of patients with chronic noncommunicable diseases to use information technology to help manage their condition: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health care providers have shown considerable interest in using information technologies such as email, text messages and video conferencing to facilitate the management of chronic noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and vascular disease. We sought to determine whether these technologies are available and appealing to the target population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed cross-sectional data from a computer-assisted telephone survey, conducted by Statistics Canada in February and March 2012, of western Canadian adults with at least 1 chronic condition. Survey respondents were asked about their capacity (e.g., "Do you own a mobile phone?") and willingness to use each of 3 information technologies (email, text messages and video conferencing) to interact with health care providers. For all analyses, Statistics Canada's calibrated design weights and bootstrap weights were used to obtain population-level point estimates for proportions and odds ratios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 1849 (79.8%) of 2316 eligible people participated. Of the 1849 participants, 81.9% had hypertension, 26.2% had diabetes, 21.4% had heart disease, and 7.9% had stroke; 32.2% had more than 1 of the 4 chronic conditions of interest. High proportions of respondents owned a computer with Internet access (76.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 73.3%-79.3%) or a mobile phone (73.9%, 95% CI 70.7%-76.8%). About two-thirds of respondents were interested in using email to interact with a specialist (66.3%, 95% CI 63.0%-69.5%); respondents were less enthusiastic about using text messages (44.9%, 95% CI 41.2%-48.7%). Enthusiasm for video conferencing was more pronounced among those residing further from medical specialists than among those living closer. Among respondents who were potentially interested in video conferencing, almost 50% of remote dwellers would use this technology if it saved more than 60 minutes of travel time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many people were interested in using electronic technologies, especially video conferencing and email-based methods, to help manage their chronic condition. The effectiveness and cost implications of using email and video conferencing in the management of chronic disease deserve further consideration.
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors: Arash Ehteshami
authors: AE
authors: Afshar
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.
authors: Robert G
authors: RG
authors: Weaver
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors: Meng
authors: M
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta. ; Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Allan
authors: Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.
authors: Paul E
authors: PE
authors: Ronksley
authors: Health Analysis Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ont.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Sanmartin
authors: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Lewanczuk
authors: Department of Geography, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Rosenberg
authors: Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.
authors: Braden
authors: B
authors: Manns
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.
authors: Brenda
authors: B
authors: Hemmelgarn
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors: Marcello
authors: M
authors: Tonelli