Perceptions, Attitudes, and Experience Regarding mHealth Among Homeless Persons in New York City Shelters
Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
, Journal of Health Communication,
Abstract
Mobile health may be an effective means of providing access and education to the millions of homeless Americans. We conducted
semi-structured interviews with 50 homeless people from different shelters in New York City to evaluate their perceptions, attitudes, and experiences regarding mobile health. Participants’ average age was 51.66 (SD ¼ 11.34) years; duration of homelessness
was 2.0 (SD ¼ 3.10) years. The majority had a mobile phone with the ability to receive and send text messages. Most participants
attempted to maintain the same phone number over time. The homeless were welcoming and supportive of text messaging regarding health care issues, including appointment reminders, health education, or management of diseases considering their barriers and
mobility, and believed it would help them access necessary health care. Overwhelmingly they preferred text reminders that were
short, positively framed, and directive in nature compared to lengthy or motivational texts. The majority believed that free cell
phone plans would improve their engagement with, help them navigate, and ultimately improve their access to care. These positive
attitudes and experience could be effectively used to improve health care for the homeless. Policies to improve access to mobile
health and adapted text messaging strategies regarding the health care needs of this mobile population should be considered.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Mobile health, New York City, d education
Citation
To cite this article: Ramin Asgary, Blanca Sckell, Analena Alcabes, Ramesh Naderi, Philip Adongo & Gbenga Ogedegbe (2015) Perceptions, Attitudes, and Experience Regarding mHealth Among Homeless Persons in New York City Shelters, Journal of Health Communication, 20:12, 1473-1480, DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2015.1033117