Informal Caregivers’ Use of Internet-Based Health Resources: An Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey

TLDR

Informal caregivers are keen to use technology to aid their caregiving, but disparities in internet and technology access across sociodemographic groups may limit access for the most vulnerable. This study examines how caregivers use the internet for general and health‑related purposes and whether usage varies by caregiver characteristics. Using data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 Cycle 1, the authors included self‑identified informal caregivers, collected variables on internet use, demographics, health, and caregiving burden, and applied chi‑square tests with jackknife variance estimation to assess differences across caregiver characteristics. Among 391 caregivers, 77.5% had ever used the internet, with 88.1% accessing it from a home computer and 83.2% from a mobile device; most used it for health information (73.1% for self, 67.5% for others), 37.9% communicated with doctors online, 43.7% used wellness apps, and usage was higher among younger, better‑educated, healthier caregivers, with 66% trusting online health information, indicating that while computers and mobile devices are effective platforms, they may not reach older or less educated caregivers.

Abstract

Informal caregivers express strong interest in technology innovations to help them in their caregiving role; however, divides across sociodemographic characteristics in internet and technology access may preclude the most vulnerable caregivers from accessing such resources.This study aims to examine caregivers' internet use, both generally and for seeking health-related information, and whether usage differs as a function of caregivers' characteristics.Data were analyzed from the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 Cycle 1. Participants were included in analyses if they self-identified as providing uncompensated care to a close individual. Caregivers reported internet use factors, age, education, rurality, general health, distress, and objective caregiving burden. We used chi-square tests of independence with jackknife variance estimation to compare whether internet use factors differed by caregivers' characteristics.A total of 77.5% (303/391) caregivers surveyed reported ever using the internet. Of internet users, 88.1% (267/303) accessed from a home computer and 83.2% (252/303) from a mobile device. Most caregivers accessed health information for themselves (286/391, 73.1%) or others (264/391, 67.5%); fewer communicated with a doctor over the Web (148/391, 37.9%) or had a wellness app (171/391, 43.7%). Caregivers reporting younger age, more education, and good health were more likely to endorse any of these activities. Furthermore, two-thirds of caregivers (258/391, 66.0%) endorsed trust in health information from the internet.Computers and mobile devices are practical platforms for disseminating caregiving-related information and supportive services to informal caregivers; these modalities may, however, have a more limited reach to caregivers who are older, have less education, and are in poorer health.