ArticleCureus2019
Mobile Phones May Not Bridge the Digital Divide: A Look at Mobile Phone Literacy in an Underserved Patient Population.
Article in Cureus, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Engagement With and Acceptability of Digital Media Platforms for Use in Improving Health Behaviors Among Vulnerable Families: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Randomized control trial comparing genetic counseling service delivery models in an underserved population.Journal of genetic counseling · 2025Trial
- Mid-term health-related quality of life in community-acquired bacterial meningitis survivors; the COMBAT study.PloS one · 2023Trial
- Bridging the Digital Divide in Diabetes Care With an AI-Powered Health Coaching Intervention: Qualitative Formative Study.JMIR diabetes · 2026Article
- Feasibility and Preferences to Adopt mHealth-Based Interventions for HIV Prevention Among High-Risk Groups: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR human factors · 2026Article
- Benefits and Barriers of Caregiver App Engagement for Supporting Diverse Children With Asthma: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2025Article
- Spatial distribution of internet use and its determinants among reproductive age women in Jordan evidence 2023 DHS: a multilevel mixed effect analysis.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Current Status of Information and Communication Technologies Utilization, Education Needs, Mobile Health Literacy, and Self-Care Education Needs of a Population of Stroke Patients.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
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- Preference for hotline versus mobile application/countdown-based mobile overdose response services: a qualitative study.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- The Association of eHealth Literacy Skills and mHealth Application Use Among US Adults With Obesity: Analysis of Health Information National Trends Survey Data.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Article
- SweetMama: Usability Assessment of a Novel Mobile Application Among Low-Income Pregnant People to Assist With Diabetes Management and Support.Diabetes spectrum : a publication of the American Diabetes Association · 2023Article
- High Usability and Applicability Ratings for the New SmartClicRheumatology and therapy · 2023Article
- mHealth Uses and Opportunities for Teens from Communities with High Health Disparities: A Mixed-Methods Study.Journal of technology in behavioral science · 2022Article
- Parents' Experience With a Mobile Health Intervention to Influence Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Decision Making: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2022Article
- Willingness of French General Practitioners to Prescribe mHealth Apps and Devices: Quantitative Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Article
- Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in South Korea: Moderating Role of mHealth Technologies.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Mobile phone access and preferences among medical inpatients at an urban Canadian hospital for post-discharge planning: A pre-COVID-19 cross-sectional survey.Frontiers in digital health · 2022Article
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Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeMobile health (mHealth) has promise to improve patient access to disease prevention and health promotion services; however, historically underserved populations may have poor access to mobile phones or may not be aware of or comfortable using phone features. Our objectives were to assess mobile phone ownership and mobile phone literacy among low-income, predominately racial and ethnic minority patients. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of primary care patients in a publicly-funded clinic in Houston, TX.
resultsOf 285 participants, 240 owned a mobile phone and 129 owned a smartphone. The most common uses of phones were talk (89%) and text messaging (65%). Only 28% of smartphone owners had health apps. Younger age was significantly associated with smartphone ownership and use of smartphones for Internet browsing, social media, and apps.
conclusionOur findings from a safety-net patient population represent trends in mobile phone ownership and literacy. Despite the single-site location of our study, the findings could be helpful to health promotion practitioners working with similar underserved populations. mHealth interventions should employ phone features that are accessible and familiar to the target audience to avoid denying intervention benefits to those with low mobile phone literacy and therefore widen health disparities.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.