Most older adults are willing to use information technology to help improve their care, but they are concerned about the cost of doing so, according to a recent study commissioned by the Blue Shield of California Foundation, San Francisco.
The Healthy @ Home study, which was conducted by AARP and the American Association of Home and Services for the Aging, found that 60% of participants would use personal emergency response systems; 47% would use telephone-based health monitoring; 40% would use electronic pillboxes; and 40% would use Web-based monitoring to communicate with their physicians. However, 81% said they were concerned that such technologies would cost too much. And 84% said they would be willing to pay $50 or less to use them.
Study participants, however, were more supportive of their physicians using I.T. For example, 95% said they wanted their physicians to use technology to check whether their insurance covers a specific drug and review their medication history before writing a prescription. And 92% indicated they wanted their physician to send prescription orders electronically to their pharmacy.
Further, 82% of participants said they were willing to have a cardiologist diagnose a heart condition based on information transmitted electronically from their primary care doctor's office. Eighty-three percent said they support follow-up care using the same sort of electronic exchange of information.
Researchers interviewed 907 adults ages 65 and older from Dec. 7 to Dec. 18, 2007. For more information, go to blueshieldcafoundation.org.
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