Acceptability of gynecologic e-health modalities by Hispanic/Latina women of reproductive age

Introduction

Electronic health (e-Health) modalities effectively address healthcare access limitations; however, there are limited data on their adoption by Hispanic/Latina women who are disproportionally affected by health disparities.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study by disseminating an anonymous electronic questionnaire via social media to assess the perception of Hispanic/Latina women of reproductive age regarding facilitators and barriers for using e-Health modalities, including telemedicine and mobile apps, to monitor gynecologic health.

Results

The questionnaire was completed by 351 Hispanic/Latina participants with high levels (98.3 %) of advanced technological expertise. Current use of a gynecologic mobile app was reported by 63.8 %, primarily for menstruation (85.1 %) and ovulation (46.3 %) tracking. While only 17.6 % of participants were offered the option of a gynecologic consultation via telemedicine, the majority (90.5 %) would agree to one. Higher education and advanced technological expertise correlated with acceptance of telemedicine for gynecological consults. Being younger (<29 y/o), a student, not having a preferred gynecologist and having a lower income significantly correlated with gynecologic mobile app acceptability.

Conclusions

We showed that e-Health modalities are highly acceptable for Hispanic/Latina women of reproductive age to facilitate gynecological care and documented factors that are significantly associated with e-Health acceptability. These findings are relevant to public health emergencies that cause access to care limitations disproportionally affecting this already underserved population.

LAY SUMMARY

Electronic health (e-Health) modalities, including telemedicine and mobile applications (apps) can effectively improve access to healthcare; however, there is limited data on their adoption by Hispanic/Latina women who are affected by health disparities. This study showed that e-Health modalities are acceptable for Hispanic/Latina women of reproductive age during public health emergencies highlighting opportunities to help facilitate access to gynecological care for this population.