Multiple Sclerosis Patients' Interest in and Likelihood of Using Online Health-Care Services

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are known to have high rates of Internet use. Thus they are likely to be receptive to and benefit from online communications with health-care providers. Although a few well-known MS clinics have implemented online health-care services for this patient group, little is known about the types of online communications that would be most beneficial to patients and the likelihood that patients would actually use these services. The aim of this study was to explore MS patients' satisfaction with traditional modes of communication with health-care providers, their interest in having access to different types of online health-care services, and their likelihood of using such services. A self-report questionnaire was developed and distributed to 263 MS patients diagnosed with clinically definite MS at our tertiary-care center. Although the vast majority of patients were satisfied with the frequency of their clinic visits, patients who called the clinic more frequently reported lower levels of satisfaction with clinic access than those who called less often. Over 73% of patients reported a high level of interest in having access to online health-care services, and over 80% of patients surveyed reported a high likelihood of using these services. Patients who reported the greatest likelihood of using online health-care services included those who surf the Internet more than 5 hours per week, who have sought health information online in the past year, and who perceive themselves as having high Internet navigational skills. The study findings highlight the importance of developing online health-care services for this cohort of patients.