Determinants and barriers to participation in an internet based recovery program for cardiac patients

Patients hospitalized for coronary heart disease were offered a home recovery program utilizing the Internet. About one-half of the patients interviewed chose to enlist in this program. Participants and non-participants did not differ significantly according to medical risk and diagnostic factors, lifestyle and some demographic variables (principally marital status, sex, and race). However, those who owned personal computers and/or were familiar with the Internet, who were in higher socioeconomic strata, and were younger than age 65 were strongly more likely to participate. Internet instruction and computers (for those who had none) were provided to participants. Those who were lent computers-29% of the program participants-were more often female, without any college training, and less confident about using the Internet. As the public becomes increasingly more familiar with personal computer technology these potential barriers to its use may eventually disappear. The present study evaluated a fairly resolute method to introduce an Internet program to many recovering patients who were unfamiliar with this technology. However, other innovative and perhaps more aggressive ways of making those most in need of such valuable health-related information and resources can be tested in the near future.