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Susannah Fox

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Access is (almost) everything–Susannah Fox

December 22, 2009 By Susannah Fox 13 Comments

Or: Why health geeks should pay attention to internet access geeks.

The Pew Research Center’s Hispanic Project and Internet Project just released an in-depth look at internet penetration across racial and ethnic categories in the U.S.: Latinos Online, 2006-2008

From 2006 to 2008, internet use among Latino adults rose by 10 percentage points, from 54% to 64%.  In comparison, the rates for whites rose four percentage points, and the rates for blacks rose only two percentage points during that time period.  Though Latinos continue to lag behind whites, the gap in internet use has shrunk considerably.

Most of the growth is coming from foreign-born Latinos and those living in lower-income households. Native-born and higher-income Latinos, like non-Hispanic whites, may have already reached internet saturation in 2006.

Another group that has not moved the needle since 2006: people living with chronic conditions.

My next report will focus on internet use among adults living with chronic diseases (with a special focus on diabetes, heart conditions, lung conditions, high blood pressure, and/or cancer).  The last time I took a look at this group was in 2007, when we asked a broader question to define e-patients living with a disability or chronic disease. No matter which way we slice the population, though, I can tell you that internet access is still low among people challenged by health problems. Not much has changed in two years.

The good news, however, is that once online, people living with chronic conditions get right in there — communicating with friends and family via email, looking online for health information, and upgrading to broadband at home.

So: if you believe that participatory medicine starts with participation by the patient, pay attention to internet access numbers (especially broadband and wireless figures). Participation matters, but without access, it’s a moot point.

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Filed Under: demographics Tagged With: Access Health, Access Numbers, Baby Boomers, Chronic Conditions, chronic disease, Chronic Diseases, Communicating With Friends, diabetes, disability, Ethnic Categories, Gap, Geeks, health information, Health Problems, Heart Conditions, High Blood Pressure, Income Households, internet access, Internet Penetration, Internet Project, Internet Use, Last Time, Latino Adults, Latinos, Lung Conditions, Moot Point, Older Adults, Percentage Points, Pew Research Center, Saturation, Time Period

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susannah Fox says

    January 4, 2010 at 12:33 pm

    Update: I just received a print copy of the USDA Economic Research Service’s report, “Broadband Internet’s Value for Rural America,” and highly recommend taking a look at it:

    http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR78/

    The summary is available in HTML:
    http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR78/ERR78_ReportSummary.html

    Otherwise it’s in PDF.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. SusannahFox says:
    December 22, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    What the new Latino data means for Health 2.0: Access is (almost) everything http://bit.ly/7KNK6K #WhyPM #hcsm

    Reply
  2. Grant Sunada, MPH says:
    December 22, 2009 at 5:27 pm

    RT @SusannahFox @s4pm Access is (almost) everything for Latinos & those with chronic disability/disease http://bit.ly/5eV7CC

    Reply
  3. bacigalupe says:
    December 22, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    What the new Latino data means for Health 2.0? Access is (almost) everything http://bit.ly/7KNK6K #WhyPM #hcsm (via @SusannahFox)

    Reply
  4. SusannahFox says:
    December 22, 2009 at 10:20 pm

    What the new Latino data means for Health 2.0: Access is (almost) everything http://bit.ly/7KNK6K #WhyPM #hcsm

    Reply
  5. Jen S. McCabe says:
    December 23, 2009 at 12:29 am

    @shazow probablamente necessitamos http://getupandmove.me en espanol, temprano http://tinyurl.com/ybkh9gx

    Reply
  6. Jen S. McCabe says:
    December 23, 2009 at 9:58 am

    one of the fastest growth segments on the web may surprise you (Health 2.0 co's pay attention, time for espanol?) http://tinyurl.com/ybkh9gx

    Reply
  7. Dennis Urbaniak says:
    December 23, 2009 at 1:39 pm

    RT @s4pm Access is (almost) everything http://bit.ly/5eV7CC

    Reply
  8. SusannahFox says:
    January 4, 2010 at 12:30 pm

    Access is (almost) everything :: why health geeks should pay attention to internet access geeks http://bit.ly/7KNK6K

    Reply
  9. healthythinker says:
    January 4, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    RT @SusannahFox: Access is (almost) everything :: why health geeks should pay attention to internet access geeks http://bit.ly/7KNK6K

    Reply
  10. Internet Usage Among Seniors and Patients « The mHealth Worker says:
    January 16, 2010 at 10:23 am

    […] December, Susannah Fox posted on the e-Patients.net blog something that helped confirm my impression: My next report will focus on internet use among adults […]

    Reply
  11. SusannahFox says:
    January 18, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    Public Health 2.0: Access is (almost) everything (http://bit.ly/7KNK6K) and re-think the digital divide

    Reply
  12. Andre Blackman says:
    January 18, 2010 at 8:50 pm

    RT @SusannahFox: Public Health 2.0: Access is (almost) everything (http://bit.ly/7KNK6K) and re-think the digital divide

    Reply

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