title: Use of communication technologies by people with type 1 diabetes in the social networking era. A chance for improvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the health-related use of Web 2.0 tools by patients with type 1 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey assessing views and usage of the Internet, Apps and Web 2.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Number of participants: 289 (age 42.8±13.5 years; diabetes duration 18.4±12.2 years; 58.7% males; 39% with an upper secondary or higher education level). Web 2.0 usage for health purposes was low with 19.6% and 14% of Web 2.0 members (147; 50.9%) having health-related contacts and posting health comments. Health-related Apps were used by 35.4% of Smartphone owners (161; 55.7%). 75.3% patients would share information online with professionals, preferably through e-mail (78.7%) rather than Facebook (47.7%). 141 (66.5%) of those willing to share information would participate in a professional-moderated Facebook group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Web 2.0 and Apps usage for health purposes is low. The difference between the use of Web 2.0 networks and the willingness to participate in professional-moderated Web 2.0 groups points to the need of a higher implication of health professionals in promoting Web 2.0 technologies if these are to be adopted in a clinical setting. Currently, e-mail is the tool to be considered when aiming to increase online communication with patients with type 1 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital General de Granollers, Granollers, Spain; Doctorate Programme, Medicine Departament, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. Electronic address: 26082ggp@comb.cat.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giménez-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital General de Granollers, Granollers, Spain.
authors.forename: Assumpta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Recasens
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital General de Granollers, Granollers, Spain.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Simó
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital General de Granollers, Granollers, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aguas
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital General de Granollers, Granollers, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital General de Granollers, Granollers, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital General de Granollers, Granollers, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignasi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castells
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063731:Mobile Applications; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010358:Patient Participation; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D000068997:Smartphone; D061108:Social Media; D060756:Social Networking
keywords: Internet; Social networking; Type 1 diabetes mellitus; Web 2.0