JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Providing HIV/STD testing and prevention education, medical and non-medical case management, housing assistance, transportation services, and patient navigation are just a few examples of how community-based HIV/AIDS service organizations (ASOs) will help the United States realize the goals of the updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

Objective:

In this study, we assess staff at ASOs electronic data security confidence level, electronic communication behaviors, and interest in using eHealth communication tools with their clients.

Methods:

Staff (n=59) were recruited from seven ASOs located in the South (i.e., three in South Carolina and four ASOs in Texas). We used state department of health websites to identify ASOs. Staff were included if they provided HIV/STD prevention education to clients. A recruitment letter was sent to ASO leaders who then used snowball sampling to recruit eligible staff. We used Stata/SE version 16.1 to perform square tests to assess data security confidence level by sociodemographic characteristics, electronic communication with clients, and interest in using eHealth communication tools with clients in the future.

Results:

Among 59 at staff ASOs that participated in our study, 66% (n=39/59) were very or completely confident that safeguards are in place to keep electronically shared information from being seen by other people; 68% (n=40/59) used email; 58% (n=34/59) used text messages; 25% (n=15/59) used social media; 15% (n=9/59) used a mobile app; 8% (n=5/59) used web-enabled video conference; and 3% (n=2/59) used something else (e.g., EMR, healthnavigator.com) to communicate electronically with their clients. More than half were very interested in using eHealth communication tools in the future for sharing appointment reminders (67%; n=38/59) and general health tips (61%; n=34/59) with their clients. Half were very interested in using eHealth communication tools in the future to share HIV medication reminders with their clients (50%; n=29/59). Almost half 40% (n=23/59) were very interested in using eHealth communication tools to share vaccination reminders with their clients. There were no statistically significant differences in sociodemographic and eHealth communication characteristics based on electronic communication data security confidence level (all P values were >.05).

Conclusions:

ASO staff had some level of confidence that safeguards were in place to keep electronically shared information from being seen by other people. This is critically important given the sensitivity of the information shared between ASO staff and their clients. Because many ASO staff were very interested in using eHealth communication tools with their clients in the future. It is very likely that how eHealth communication tools can be used in community settings to improve health outcomes across the HIV care continuum. In the interim, more research is needed to better understand factors that may facilitate or impede ASO staff’s use and clients’ acceptability of eHealth communication tools in community settings. Clinical Trial: Not applicable