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dc.contributor.authorClarke, Caroline S
dc.contributor.authorRound , Jeff
dc.contributor.authorMorris , Stephen
dc.contributor.authorKharicha , Kalpa
dc.contributor.authorFord , John
dc.contributor.authorManthorpe , Jill
dc.contributor.authorIliffe , Steve
dc.contributor.authorGoodman, Claire
dc.contributor.authorWalters, Kate
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-19T16:18:07Z
dc.date.available2017-09-19T16:18:07Z
dc.date.issued2017-07-01
dc.identifier.citationClarke , C S , Round , J , Morris , S , Kharicha , K , Ford , J , Manthorpe , J , Iliffe , S , Goodman , C & Walters , K 2017 , ' Exploring the relationship between frequent internet use and health and social care resource use in a community-based cohort of older adults: An observational study in primary care ' , BMJ Open , vol. 7 , no. 7 , e015839 . https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-015839.
dc.identifier.issn2044-6055
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-8938-4893/work/62749759
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2299/19437
dc.descriptionThis is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.description.abstractAbstract Objectives Given many countries’ ageing populations, policymakers must consider how to mitigate or reduce health problems associated with old age, within budgetary constraints. Evidence of use of digital technology in delaying the onset of illness and reducing healthcare service use is mixed, and no clear consensus has yet been formed. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between frequent internet use and patterns of health or social care resource use in primary care attendees who took part in a study to improve the health of older adults. Methods Participants, aged over 65 and living in semi-rural or urban areas in the south of England, were followed up at 3 and 6 months after completing a comprehensive questionnaire with personalised feedback on their health and well-being. We performed logistic regression analyses to investigate relationships between frequent internet use and patterns of service use, controlling for confounding factors, and clustering by GP practice. Four categories of service use data were gathered: use of primary NHS care; secondary NHS care; other community health and social care services; and assistance with washing, shopping and meals. Results Our results show, in this relatively healthy population, a positive relationship (odds ratio 1.72; 95% CI 1.33 to 2.23) between frequent internet use and use of any other community-based health services (physiotherapist, osteopath/chiropractor, dentist, optician/optometrist, counselling service, smoking cessation service, chiropodist/ podiatrist, emergency services, other non-specific health services), and no relationship with the other types of care. No causal relationship can be postulated due to the study’s design. Conclusions No observed relationship between frequent internet use and primary or secondary care use was found, suggesting that older adults without internet access are not disadvantaged regarding health care utilisation. Further research should explore how older people use the internet to access healthcare, and impact on their health.en
dc.format.extent783166
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofBMJ Open
dc.subjectOlder adults, health service resource use, internet use, panel data, logistic regression, primary care.
dc.titleExploring the relationship between frequent internet use and health and social care resource use in a community-based cohort of older adults: An observational study in primary careen
dc.contributor.institutionSchool of Health and Social Work
dc.contributor.institutionCentre for Research in Public Health and Community Care
dc.contributor.institutionOlder People's Health and Complex Conditions
dc.description.statusPeer reviewed
rioxxterms.versionofrecord10.1136/bmjopen-2017-015839.
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Review
herts.preservation.rarelyaccessedtrue


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