title: Validation and Assessment of a Technology Familiarity Score in Patients Attending a Symptomatic Breast Clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  New media technologies (computers, mobile phones and the internet) have the potential to transform the healthcare information needs of patients with breast disease (Ferlay et al. in Eur J Cancer 49:1374-1403, 2013). However, patients' current level of use and their willingness to accept new media for education and communication remain unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a single-centre clinic-based prospective cross-sectional study. A previously developed instrument was modified, validated and tested on patients attending a symptomatic breast clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The instrument was evaluated on 200 symptomatic breast patients. The commonest outlets for education were staff (95 %), leaflets (69 %) and websites (59 %). Websites are more likely to be consulted by younger patients (<47 years), and patients who were working, students or homemakers (p < 0.05). Patients rated usefulness of information media in this order: (1) print, (2) phone, (3) website, (4) email, (5) text and (6) apps. Patients who were new to the clinic were more likely to find text messaging and emailing useful (n < 0.05). Younger patients (<47 years) are more likely to find text messages, apps, websites and email useful (p < 0.05). Urban patients are more likely to find websites and email useful (p < 0.05). Patients with higher education were more likely to favour apps, websites and email (p < 0.05). Smartphone owners were significantly more likely to rate text messaging, apps, websites and email as useful media (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that new media technology use among breast patients is expanding as expected along generational trends. As such its' further integration into healthcare systems can potentially ameliorate patient education and communication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Academic Surgery, Cork Breast Research Centre, Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lehane
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Livingstone
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Corrigan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003146:Communications Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003201:Computers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007494:Ireland; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data