Use of YouTube to watch health-related videos and participation in online support groups among US adults with heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.

Objective: Social media use has grown over time. However, it is unclear how people with a self-reported history of cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular disease-related risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension use social media. Methods: Data from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 4) were analyzed (N = 3865). Only respondents with complete data for all variables of interest were included in the analyses, resulting in 306 respondents with a heart condition, 1291 with hypertension, and 608 with diabetes. We explored associations between two dependent variables: (1) participated in an online forum or support group and (2) watched a health-related video on YouTube, and sociodemographic factors and patient-provider communication. Analyses were conducted separately by medical condition. Odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and p-values were calculated. Results: In respondents with a heart condition, hypertension, or diabetes, 5.4%, 8.4%, and 10.3% had participated in an online support group and 29.6%, 40.4%, and 36.6% had watched health-related videos on YouTube, respectively. Univariately, the odds of using online support groups was associated with younger age (vs. > = 65) in people with a heart condition and hypertension, but not diabetes. Regarding YouTube, younger age was associated with watching health-related videos across all three medical conditions, with additional gender and education associations observed in those with hypertension. There were no associations between social media use and patient-provider communication. Conclusions: These findings may inform the selection of social media platforms for behavioral interventions depending on the intended patient population and goals (e.g. social support vs. video-based health education).

Correlates of knowledge of clinical trials among U.S. adults: Findings from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge about clinical trials affects efficient and equitable clinical trial recruitment and retention. This study explored correlates of clinical trial knowledge in a nationally representative sample of US adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 4) were evaluated. There were 3,865 responses in the full dataset; 2,648 remained after eliminating respondents without complete data for all covariates of interest. Participants were asked, "How would you describe your level of knowledge about clinical trials?" The response options "know a little bit" and "know a lot" were combined and compared to the response option "don't know anything." Covariates of interest included patient-provider communication, history of medical conditions, eHealth use, knowledge of clinicaltrials.gov, prior invitation to join a clinical trial, and socio-demographic factors. RESULTS: Participants with a history of cancer were 1.6 times more likely [CI 1.2, 2.2] to have knowledge of clinical trials. Participants who used electronic means to look for health information were 1.7 times more likely [CI 1.2, 2.4] to have knowledge of clinical trials. Participants who had heard of the website clinicaltrials.gov had 5.1 times greater odds of knowing about clinical trials [CI 2.6, 10.3] and 4.5 greater odds if they had been invited to participate in a clinical trial [CI 2.0, 9.8]. College graduates had higher odds than others. CONCLUSION: Several factors affect clinical trial knowledge in US adults. Findings from this study may inform interventions to raise awareness about clinical trials and thereby, potentially improve enrollment.

Impact of the Internet on Patient-Physician Communication.

Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) show that the Internet is the first place people go to when they need information about health or medical topics. Searches for online health information have both benefits and challenges for patient-physician communication. To fully appreciate these issues, it is important to understand the following: (1) who is going online; (2) why are they going; (3) where are they going; (4) what needs are being met; and (5) how, if at all, do they discuss health information found online with their doctors. The objective of this mini-review is to highlight contemporary issues regarding the impact of the internet on patient-physician communication and to present directions for future research. PATIENT SUMMARY: The growing use of the Internet has implications for people seeking information on health matters. Our review shows that the Internet can be helpful for patient-physician communication, but this depends on the quality of health information found and whether the information is discussed during medical visits.