Age-related smartphone use patterns among individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT

Objective

With mobile health technologies serving as an alternative means of providing healthcare, evaluating patients’ abilities to navigate digital infrastructures is becoming increasingly relevant. The goal of this study is to investigate smartphone use patterns among individuals with history of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods

An anonymous survey was delivered via e-mail or text message to eligible participants who had a history of moderate-to-severe TBI and were prospectively followed at one of the eight participating Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems centers for at least 1-year post-injury. The survey captured demographic data and included a questionnaire to evaluate smartphone use (calling, texting, web browsing, etc.).

Results

A total of 2665 eligible individuals were contacted to complete the survey, 472 of which responded. 441 of them reported smartphone use. Individuals ages 45 and older were significantly less likely to use their phones for functions other than calling and texting when compared to individuals ages 18–44 (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Most individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI in this cohort demonstrated intentional smartphone use, suggesting that mobile health technologies may be feasible as a cost-effective healthcare alternative. However, doing so will require additional interventions to provide further technological education especially in older individuals with TBI.

KEYWORDS:

• Smartphone
• brain injuries
• traumatic
• mobile health
• aging

Acknowledgments

We thank all the participants in this study. We also thank all TBIMS participants and investigators: Cynthia Dunklin, Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation; Cindy Harrison-Felix and Shelby Mann, Rocky Mountain Regional Brain Injury System; Flora Hammond, Rebecca Runkel, and Darby Dyar, Indiana University/Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana; Yelena Goldin, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute TBIMS; Ben Dirlikov, Jame Crew, and Thao Duong, Northern California TBIMS; Amy Wagner, Daniel Rusnak, and Kimberli Huster, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center TBIMS; Shanti Pinto, Tami Guerrier, and Kimberly Welsh, Carolinas Rehabilitation TBIMS Follow-up Site; Dmitry Esterov and Allen Brown, Mayo Clinic TBIMS. We also thank Evelyn Kwei for her editing assistance.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) grant [UL1-RR024982]; National Institute on Aging [R34AG061304].