Deck 9: eHealth, mHealth, and Telehealth

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a main advantage of telemedicine?

A) It allows greater privacy for patient records.
B) It allows people in understaffed areas to receive medical attention.
C) It allows people to become better informed about health matters.
D) It can cut down on travel time for patients and caregivers.

Answer 1

A
Explanation: Because patient records in general and electronic patient records in particular are vulnerable to hackers, they are a disadvantage of telemedicine.

Question 2

The small clinic where you work has implemented a new telemedicine program. Which of the following is a key advantage of long-distance consultations with specialists in another town?

A) Almost no scheduling is required on your end. Your patients simply sit in front of a television screen and interact with specialists miles away.
B) The process can save patients time and money.
C) The privacy of online information is completely guaranteed.
D) The technology is fairly cheap and easy to use.

Answer 2

B
Explanation: Telemedicine has many possible advantages, including making care more efficient and affordable for patients, broadening opportunities for caregivers to collaborate, and facilitating the sharing of medical records.

Question 3

As a counselor, you have noticed that some people are not very interested in reading health information, but they are receptive when you share the information with them. Which theory includes the idea that we are more or less receptive to health information depending on how it is presented?

A) Social judgment theory
B) Theory of motivated information management
C) Source homophily model
D) Integrated model of information semiotics

Answer 3

B
Explanation: According to the theory of motivated information management, the likelihood that people will seek information depends on their perceived need for it, their coping ability, and the way in which the information is conveyed. People seek information most readily from sources they believe to be relevant, accurate, and trustworthy.

Question 4

As an international student, you feel that warnings about obesity and diabetes, so common in America, aren't very relevant to you. This idea is reinforced by your friends and family members with similar backgrounds. Which of the following theories recognizes that the way we judge health information is affected by social structures and beliefs?

A) Social equity model of health information
B) Social judgment theory
C) Integrative model of online health information seeking
D) The health-enhancement theory of social group membership

Question 5

Based on coverage in the text, which of the following is a valid concern about the increasing use of eHealth technology?

A) Physicians will lose revenue because patients will not seek care except for emergencies.
B) Physicians will make recommendations and provide advice to patients they have not examined.
C) Physicians will lose prestige as years of expensive training and experience will no longer be necessary.
D) Demand for physician assistants and nurse practitioners will decrease.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes ePatients?

A) They tend to share what they learn with others.
B) They would rather get information online than from doctors.
C) They tend to be older than 50.
D) Most of them are coping with chronic health concerns.

Question 7

You see the message "secret formula" on an online advertisement for a weight-reduction product. How should you interpret such a message?

A) Use the product with caution until you know that it is safe.
B) Avoid the product. Only con artists use such language.
C) Respect that manufacturers must keep product details secret to discourage competitors from duplicating them.
D) Recognize that this is a product in the first phase of testing by the Food and Drug Administration.

Question 8

While driving your car, you happen to hear a public service announcement about the dangers of shaking a baby. You don't have a baby of your own, but you store the information away for the future. Health information _________ describes the process of encountering health information incidentally, without seeking it out.

A) synchronicity
B) passivity
C) scanning
D) efficacy

Question 9

The ___________ provided the basis for many theories to follow by proposing that we are motivated to seek information when something calls our attention to a concern, we don't feel well informed about it, and we think information will be helpful.

A) health belief model
B) health information acquisition model
C) transitory information theory
D) information balance perspective

Question 10

Why are health promoters focusing so much energy on mHealth?

A) Mobile devices are more prevalent than laptops and computers.
B) The operating systems for mobile devices are more standardized than on laptop and desktop computers.
C) E-mail is likely to become our primary means of communicating with doctors.
D) All of the above

Question 11

Research shows that people are reluctant to tell their doctors they have researched their health condition online if:

A) The information they found online is confusing.
B) They aren't confident in their online information skills.
C) They don't want to give the impression they are encroaching on the doctor's turf.
D) They trust the information online more than they trust their doctors.

Question 12

In the neighborhood where you grew up, few people had computers and most people felt that the medical establishment didn't care about them. As a consequence, they didn't seek much health information or trust what they heard. Which theory best describes patterns such as that?

A) Integrative model of online health information seeking
B) Social equity model of health information
C) Social judgment theory
D) The health-enhancement theory of social group membership

Question 13

Your friend Lisa complains to you about her doctor's new online patient portal system. She says that the portal looks hard to navigate and there are no instructions explaining how to use it. She decides she isn't going to use it because it probably won't be very useful. She reasons she can do things like scheduling appointments by calling her doctor's office. Which theory best explains Lisa's decision to avoid using the patient portal?

A) Health information acquisition model
B) Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology
C) Integrative model of online health information seeking
D) Theory of motivated information management

Question 14

You are dismayed to find out via a letter that the results of your recent cancer screening indicate the need for further testing. You wonder why the doctor didn't call you personally to share such worrisome news. Which theory recognizes that it is important to consider not just the nature of health information, but also how that information is conveyed?

A) Integrated model of information semiotics
B) Social judgment theory
C) Source homophily model
D) Theory of motivated information management

Question 15

One reason many health care providers reject eHealth initiatives, like electronic medical records, is because they are hard to use. Scholars recommend something called "participatory design" to help combat usability problems. Which of the following options best describes participatory design?

A) Asking for users' opinions after an initiative has gone to market
B) Soliciting users' evaluation and feedback during beta testing
C) Involving users from product conception to completion
D) Asking for users' opinions during and after product installation

Question 16

Which of the following statements about teens and health apps is true?

A) Only a quarter of teens actively use health apps
B) Teens tend to focus on health apps related to diet and exercise
C) Health apps are more popular with teens than adults
D) Teens tend to focus on monitoring and diagnostic health apps

Question 17

Your friend Jamal is a medical student and regularly uses medical apps for tasks such as researching medication side effects and looking up medical terms. You ask Jamal if he also uses medical apps when he is with patients. If he is like the majority of the medical students you read about in the text, his answer will most closely resemble which of the following statements?

A) "Yes, because I think my patients feel reassured when I use apps to confirm their diagnoses."
B) "Yes, because I believe using medical apps makes me appear more competent in front of patients."
C) "No, because I worry that using medical apps could make me appear less engaged."
D) "No, because I'm concerned patients might decide to self-diagnose using health apps in the future instead of seeking medical care from a professional."

Question 18

Which of the following statements concerning the integrative theory of mHealth is NOT true?

A) Effective health apps are rich in content and actively engage users.
B) Effective health apps prompt users to share their newfound health knowledge with others.
C) Sharing knowledge on social media leads to support, feelings of self-efficacy, and social norms that facilitate healthy behavior and better health.
D) Too much online feedback can be overwhelming and too little feedback on health-related posts can be hurtful.

Question 19

Although text-based health interventions, such as Text2Quit, are popular with patients, some health professionals are hesitant to text their patients. Some of the reasons professionals are reluctant to text include:

A) Data privacy concerns
B) Blurring professional boundaries
C) Questions regarding compensation for mHealth services
D) All of the above

Question 20

Based on coverage in the text, which of the following helps explain why telehealth is not more prevalent?

A) It is often unclear how caregivers should be compensated for services rendered long distance.
B) Telemedicine equipment is costly to install and maintain.
C) There is a lack of consumer demand.
D) All of the above.

Question 21

People who rely on TV news for health information are typically better informed than people who rely mostly on online health information.

Question 22

Evidence suggests that online health information is most useful when it helps us accomplish a particular goal as opposed to learn general information about a health issue.

Question 23

People who learn about health issues online typically avoid talking to doctors about the same issues.

Question 24

Adults under age 30 are three times more likely than those 60 and older to learn about health information online.

Question 25

About one quarter of the U.S. population had their health records breached in 2015.

Question 26

Your friend Jamilla spent the afternoon in the library to research information on the desktop computers available there. This is a good example of mHealth.

Question 27

Research suggest that about three-quarters of "online diagnosers" have their diagnoses confirmed by medical professionals.

Question 28

One major advantage for providers adopting eHealth initiatives like electronic medical records is interoperability, the ability to share and use data across multiple platforms.

Question 29

One reason telemedicine has not proliferated more than it has is that many physicians worry about being sued for malpractice for giving advice without the benefit of a full medical exam.

Question 30

A person who is not confident that he or she can use and understand health information is said to have high efficacy.

Question 31

Health care providers are often skeptical when it comes to new health information technologies, and with good reason--research shows that nearly half of all eHealth initiatives fail. Describe three of the reasons eHealth programs, like electronic medical records and online resources, fail.

Question 32

Analyze the value of telemedicine, describing at least five advantages and five disadvantages.

Question 33

One of your closest friends was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Based on the pros and cons provided in your book, what factors might make it advantageous for your friend to seek health information online? What are some potential disadvantages?