MON-591 - Attitudes and Beliefs Among Hospitalized Patients with Diabetes In The Digital Era

Background: Digital health interventions hold promise for improving diabetes self-management, yet technology ownership does not always translate into meaningful health-related technology use. Some hospitalized patients with diabetes may face barriers to technology-based self-management post-discharge due to limited digital experience or low electronic health literacy (eHealth literacy).

Objectives: Evaluate digital literacy, technology use, and attitudes among hospitalized adults with diabetes to ultimately inform equitable technology-based interventions that improve healthcare delivery.

Methods: Cross-sectional sub-analysis from an observational study at an urban academic hospital on the South Side of Chicago. English-speaking adults (at least 18 years old) with a diagnosis of diabetes were enrolled. Descriptive statistics characterized demographics, while chi-square, Fisher's exact, linear regressions, ANOVA, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests assessed patient attitudes and beliefs.

Results: Participants (n=147) were on average 60 years old (SD 14) with three-quarters (72%) identifying as Black/African American and half (49%) as female. Half (50%) reported completing high school or less, and at least one-fifth (18%) of those reporting income reported low annual income (up to $25,000), though two-thirds (67%) declined to report or did not know their income. The median eHealth literacy score was 28 (IQR 16-33; adequate range). However, eHealth literacy varied significantly by age (p=0.001) and education level (p=0.0006), with older adults and those with lower education having lower eHealth literacy scores. Despite overall high technology ownership (90%), middle-aged adults (ages 36-64) with low eHealth literacy were significantly less likely to own technology (p=0.01) than younger (ages 18-35) or older (ages 65+) individuals. Two-thirds of participants (66%) reported willingness to use devices for self-management of diabetes and most participants felt they had adequate resources to manage their diabetes (79%).

Conclusions: Technology ownership alone is not sufficient for meaningful health engagement. Digital health interventions must address access, willingness, and eHealth literacy to support effective technology-based diabetes self-management interventions. Future studies can evaluate whether engagement differs by disease control and/or severity. Healthcare systems should integrate digital literacy assessments into diabetes care planning.

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