Caregivers for military veterans prefer mobile health apps that give them access to their loved one's electronic healthcare record and allow them to do tasks like refill prescriptions and set medication reminders, according to a report published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
The 882 caregivers participating were had been enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs's Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers program and also participated in the VA Family Caregiver Mobile Health Pilot program.
The researchers found that caregivers living in rural areas were more likely to use the apps, as were caregivers of veterans who have a mental health diagnosis like post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Use of the apps also was much greater if the caregiver of the veteran was a spouse, the researchers found.
Top popular apps in the VA study were the Summary of Care, Rx Refill and Notification. Those used the least included the Care4Caregiver Journal, PTSD Coach and Pain Coach apps.
The researchers said they were surprised the PSTD app had such low usage; however, the VA had released a PTSD app to the public before the study was underway, they noted.
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