The effect of educational attainment levels on use of non-traditional health information resources: Findings from the Canadian survey of experiences with primary health care

Sean Hardiman ,Kendall Ho

doi:10.34105/j.kmel.2015.07.044

Abstract

Canadian provincial governments have made significant investments in nurse advice telephone lines and Internet resources as non-traditional options to reduce emergency department visits and improve access to health care for the population. However, little is known about the characteristics of users of these services, and who chooses to use them first, before accessing other sources of health advice. Additionally, individuals with lower levels of education tend to be late adopters of technology and have inconsistent utilization of health services. The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of educational attainment levels on the use of non-traditional health information sources first, before other more conventional sources of health information. The study utilized Canadian Survey of Experiences with Primary Health Care (CSE-PHC), 2007-2008 survey data. Logistic regression models were constructed to examine the relationship between use of non-traditional health information sources first, and educational attainment, adjusted for confounders. Relative to someone with less than secondary education, individuals with secondary education (OR = 4.30, 95% CI: 2.44 – 7.59), and individuals with post-secondary education (OR 4.91, 95% CI: 2.78 – 8.67), had significantly greater odds of using non-traditional health information sources first. These findings suggest that educational attainment has a significant effect on the use of non-traditional health information sources first. Future providers of non-traditional health information sources, especially in the design of future eHealth tools and consideration of eHealth literacy, should consider these results in development and implementation of their communications strategies to maximize the reach of their services.

Highlights

Access to primary health care services is a major factor in the health and well being of a population (Starfield, Shi, & Macinko, 2005)
For the primary explanatory variable, level of education, 17.3% had less than a secondary education, 38.6% had completed secondary education, and 44.1% had completed postsecondary education
We examined the relationship between the use of alternative sources of health information first and the level of educational attainment

Summary

Introduction

Access to primary health care services is a major factor in the health and well being of a population (Starfield, Shi, & Macinko, 2005). Nursing advice telephone lines have been launched throughout the United States and Canada, often as an innovative means of preventing the use of emergency departments for primary care purposes (Bearden, Brown, Kirksey, Dansby, & Hilliard, 2008; Dent, 2010). These non-traditional approaches to accessing health information stand in contrast to traditional, in-person visits with a health care professional. Little evidence is available about how barriers to health care influence utilization of these types of non-traditional sources of health information, nor is there evidence that sheds light on the correlation of individuals’ eHealth literacy to their eHealth access and use

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Conclusion