M-health and telemedicine: are people ready for the future? A real-world survey

Abstract Background Many scientific societies highlight the importance of using e-Health and Telemedicine in everyday life. Are patients truly ready for this changing scenario in the cardiovascular field? Considering the current limited evidence on this topic we conducted a real-world data analysis in a rural area. Purpose The aim of the present study was to assess the attitude of a rural area population towards the use of m-Health and Telemedicine for the improvement of cardiovascular healthcare-organization and prevention. Methods An observational cross-sectional study, surveying 200 adult-subjects, with a multiple-choice questionnaire, was carried out by the authors during local health-fair events. We gathered self-reported demographics, digital skills, attitude towards telemedicine, and data regarding primordial, primary and secondary cardiac prevention, along with the strengths and the weaknesses of m-Health use. Results Of the 200 surveyed subjects, only 179 [90%] completed the poll. Overall, 40% [n=71] appeared to be aware of telemedicine and 86% [n=154] stated to be interested in its use for everyday health-organization and cardiovascular prevention. No significative difference emerged regarding basic and advanced technological skills after subject stratification based on the education level, residence or age, except for the oldest subjects (i.e. over 80 years of age) which resulted less technologically skilled [p