Patterns of health information seeking and digital health engagement in adults with cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Abstract

e13716 Background: Adults living with both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer represent a high-risk and understudied population with complex health needs. Often referred to as the cardio-oncology population, these individuals experience overlapping cardiovascular and cancer-related challenges. As digital health technologies increasingly shape how people access health information and engage with care, understanding health information seeking and digital health engagement in this population is critical. However, nationally representative evidence on technology use and health status among adults with co-occurring CVD and cancer remains limited. This study aimed to characterize patterns of health information seeking, digital health engagement, and health status in this population. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study used data from HINTS 7. The analytic sample included 419 adults who self-reported diagnoses of both CVD and cancer with complete data on key variables. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, health information-seeking behaviors, and digital health engagement were examined. Health status was assessed using self-rated general health and indicators of physical, functional, and mental health. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics. Group differences by sociodemographic factors and health status were examined using chi-square tests, t-tests or ANOVA, as appropriate. All analyses accounted for the complex survey design and were conducted in R Studio. Results: Among 419 adults with co-occurring CVD and cancer, the mean age was 57.2 years (SD = 11.2), and 51.2% were female. Skin cancer was the most prevalent cancer type (21.5%). Most participants reported using the internet to seek health information. However, engagement with specific digital health tools, including telehealth services and electronic medical records, varied across the sample. Digital health engagement was lower among older adults and those with lower socioeconomic status. In addition, participants reporting poorer general health, physical or functional limitations, and mental health concerns demonstrated lower levels of digital health engagement compared with those reporting better health. Conclusions: This study provides a description of health information–seeking behaviors, digital health engagement, and health status among U.S. adults living with both CVD and cancer. In an understudied cardio-oncology population within the context of a rapidly evolving digital health landscape, these findings offer timely insights into current patterns of technology use and highlight sociodemographic and health-related differences that may inform future patient-centered digital health strategies.