From: Internet access and use by COPD patients in the National Emphysema/COPD Association Survey
 | Internet access | Frequency of internet use | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Yes N = 590 | No N = 324 | p-value | At least weekly N = 150 | Less than weekly N = 440 | p-value |
Demographics | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Mean age | 69.0 (9.8) | 75.1 (7.3) | < 0.0001 | 62.8 (10.0) | 71.1 (8.8) | < 0.0001 |
 Female gender | 56.95 | 62.96 | 0.07 | 67.33 | 53.41 | 0.003 |
 Education HS or Lower | 33.45 | 57.59 | < 0.0001 | 34.00 | 33.26 | 0.92 |
 Income < $30,000 | 41.11 | 68.18 | < 0.0001 | 49.66 | 37.85 | 0.01 |
 Living in rural area | 22.32 | 26.42 | 0.19 | 31.33 | 19.22 | 0.003 |
 White race | 96.10 | 96.54 | 0.10 | 97.33 | 95.67 | 0.10 |
Insurance (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Medicare | 71.69 | 81.23 | 0.001 | 57.62 | 76.54 | < 0.0001 |
 Employer/work | 33.05 | 26.10 | 0.026 | 30.46 | 33.94 | 0.43 |
 None | 2.37 | 1.77 | 0.54 | 5.30 | 1.37 | 0.006 |
Disease severity (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
QOL score | 10.1 (6.1) | 9.4 (6.0) | 0.10 | 12.6 (5.8) | 9.2 (6.0) | < 0.0001 |
Symptoms | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Shortness of breath | 84.09 | 80.94 | 0.21 | 88.74 | 82.50 | 0.07 |
 Cough | 55.67 | 58.65 | 0.37 | 54.97 | 55.91 | 0.84 |
 Phlegm | 55.50 | 54.84 | 0.84 | 55.63 | 55.45 | 0.97 |
 Nocturnal symptoms | 35.53 | 35.78 | 0.94 | 38.41 | 34.55 | 0.39 |
 Any exacerbation | 43.99 | 41.64 | 0.48 | 58.28 | 39.09 | < 0.0001 |
 At least one hospital admission | 25.72 | 27.86 | 0.47 | 29.80 | 24.32 | 0.18 |
 At least one emergency room visit | 26.40 | 24.05 | 0.42 | 35.76 | 23.18 | 0.0025 |
 Severe dyspnea | 24.96 | 26.20 | 0.74 | 29.14 | 23.49 | 0.20 |
Disease management | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Oxygen use | 60.52 | 58.66 | 0.58 | 75.50 | 55.24 | < 0.0001 |
 Continuous oral steroids | 18.80 | 16.61 | 0.47 | 21.48 | 17.86 | 0.39 |
Self-reported compliance | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Oxygen | 84.53 | 73.03 | 0.001 | 87.72 | 82.98 | 0.25 |
 Ever stopped meds | 29.72 | 22.32 | 0.01 | 32.00 | 28.91 | 0.47 |
 Low med compliance | 13.04 | 19.33 | 0.01 | 13.42 | 12.90 | 0.87 |
 Low persist meds | 4.13 | 7.29 | 0.04 | 5.30 | 3.72 | 0.40 |