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Smartphone Ownership Among Cardiology Inpatients Pre- and Post- Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic
ABSTRACT
Background:
Background:
Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are increasing in popularity for management of heart failure (HF) and coronary artery disease (CAD). The use of these interventions is dependent on rates of smartphone ownership. It is estimated that approximately 90% of the Australian adult population own a smartphone, however international studies suggest smartphone ownership to be significantly less in patient populations at between 34 and 91%. Smartphone ownership in patients with cardiovascular disease has not previously been examined.
Objective:
The aim of the proposed study is to examine and compare pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic smartphone ownership rates of inpatients admitted with CAD or HF.
Methods:
Methods:
Data from pre-screening logs of two multicentre randomised controlled trials, TeleClinical Care (TCC) – Pilot and TCC – Cardiac, were reviewed. TCC – Pilot recruited patients between February 2019 and March 2020. This formed the pre-COVID cohort with 377 patients screened who lived in Sydney, had a qualifying hospital admission and had information regarding their phone ownership status. TCC – Cardiac recruited patients from July 2021 until February 2023, with 718 patients meeting the criteria and forming the post-COVID cohort. Supplemental patient demographic and medical history data was collected from the electronic medical record.
Results:
Results:
In the pre-COVID cohort, 194 patients (51.5%) owned smartphones, 79 (21.2%) owned incompatible phones to use the mHealth intervention, and the remaining 104 (27.6%) did not own any mobile phone. Smartphone owners were predominantly male (p<0.001) and more often had private health insurance (p<0.005). In the post-COVID cohort, 366 (50.9%) owned smartphones, 106 (14.8%) owned incompatible phones, and the remaining 246 (34.3%) did not own any mobile phone. In both cohorts, younger patients were more likely to own smartphones (p<0.001). Multiple comorbidities were associated with not owning a phone.
Conclusions:
Conclusions:
Smartphone ownership makes up just over 50% of the patients in this population. It was less common with advancing age, patients with comorbidities and in markers of lower socioeconomic status. This needs to be considered when delivering mHealth interventions.
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