Teenage mentors and smartwatches help rural seniors bridge digital health divide

In an effort to bridge the digital divide in older, under-resourced communities, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU’s) Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing have implemented a pilot study that pairs high school students with older adults to promote the adoption of wearable health technology. The study, conducted in the rural “Glades” region of South-Central Florida, aimed to assess how technology-assisted health monitoring can support aging in place.

Many older residents in this rural community struggle with digital literacy, limiting their ability to use digital health-tracking devices like Fitbits and smartwatches. The study sought to change that, introducing an intergenerational program in which students helped older adults navigate the technology, while local faith-based educators provided additional support.

The research, published in the journal Educational Gerontology, used an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to send participants smartwatch-based health surveys four times per day. The participants responded to questions about their social interactions, physical activity and cognitive engagement. Paper-based assessments were also administered to evaluate cognition, health literacy and technology competence.

The study found that 91% of older adults engaged with smartwatch prompts, with an overall response rate of 77.8%. Surprisingly, factors like age, education, rural living and technology self-efficacy did not have a significant impact on response rates.

Notably, social engagement was strongly linked to higher levels of physical and mental activity, reinforcing the importance of social connections in cognitive health.

Lisa Ann Kirk Wiese, PhD, MSN, RN, GERO-BC, PHNA-BC, CNE, FGSA, FAAN, senior author, with members of the faith-based community team who worked with the students.

“Our study created a win-win situation for everyone involved: older adults gained new skills in using wearable technology to monitor their health, while high school students had the opportunity to learn processes for conducting meaningful research and develop valuable skills,” said Lisa Ann Kirk Wiese, PhD, MSN, RN, GERO-BC, PHNA-BC, CNE, FGSA, FAAN, senior author of the study and an associate professor at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

High school students — ages 15 to 19 — played a critical role in onboarding participants, offering guidance on smartwatch use, prompt responses and device maintenance. The students expressed appreciation for the opportunity to assist with the research, noting that the experience bolstered their resumes and future research-related career aspirations.

“High school students don’t just teach older adults about mobile health — they also gain invaluable skills and insights themselves,” Wiese said. “Through these meaningful interactions, students discover how technology can improve health monitoring and care, while being inspired to pursue careers in aging, health care and gerontechnology. These experiences not only prepare them for future careers but also foster a deep appreciation for the power of digital health in their own lives.”

The initiative was part of a larger effort by FAU’s nurse-led research team, which has collaborated with community stakeholders to enhance care for older adults in the region over the past decade.

The project’s success highlights the potential for similar programs to improve digital health usage and literacy in other rural areas of the country. As mobile health technology continues to evolve, these collaborations could play a vital role in ensuring equitable access to digital health tools for aging populations.

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23andMe: How to delete your genetic data

23andME, the owner of “the world’s largest proprietary database of health and genetic information” filed for bankruptcy on March 23.

This has left consumers what will happen to their personal genetic data. The company announced it will use the voluntary, court-supervised process “to maximize stakeholder value” through a sale, and that “any buyer will be required to comply with applicable law with respect to treatment of customer data.”

“Your data remains protected,” said a March 23 “Open Letter to 23andMe Customers.”

But what if you want to delete your data before the 23andMe sale? Here’s a brief guide on how to do that:

1. Sign in to your 23andMe account
Go to 23andMe.com and enter your username and password. Access your personal dashboard, where you can review your genetic reports and account information.

2. Navigate to account settings
Once logged in, look for your profile picture or name in the top right corner. Select the dropdown menu and click “Settings.” This will take you to your account management page.

3. Locate privacy and data options
In the “Settings” section, find the headings related to “Privacy” or “Account.” Look for wording such as “Delete Account,” “Close Account” or “Manage Personal Information.”

4. Review data deletion policies
Before proceeding, carefully read 23andMe’s policies on data deletion. The company typically outlines:What data will be removed: Genetic information, personal profile details and health reports.
What data may remain: Aggregated data used for research (usually stripped of personal identifiers).
Time frame: The length of time the company needs to fully remove your data.

5. Initiate the deletion request
Select the option that confirms your request to delete or close your account. 23andMe may ask you to re-enter your password or provide a security code to verify your identity.

6. Confirm closure and data removal
After submitting your request, watch for a confirmation email from 23andMe. Keep any reference numbers or confirmations in case you need to follow up.

7. (Optional) Request destruction of physical samples
If you previously sent a saliva sample for DNA analysis, you may need to submit a separate request for sample destruction. Check the 23andMe help center or contact customer service for instructions on how to confirm that your physical sample is destroyed, if that is your preference.

8. Contact customer service if needed
For additional assistance or questions about your request, contact 23andMe’s customer support. You can typically do this through the website’s contact form, or by using any phone or email information provided in your account or the company’s Help Center.

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Patients are willing to wait to see their own doctor

New research in the Annals of Family Medicine explores how visit type, urgency and patient demographics shape the balance between continuity and convA recent study suggests that patients often prefer to wait for an appointment with their own primary care physician (PCP) — particularly for chronic condition management, mental health care and other sensitive issues. It’s when symptoms are acute or urgent that speed becomes the priority.

Published in the Annals of Family Medicine, the cross-sectional survey of 2,320 primary care patients examined when patients are willing to wait for continuity and when they prefer convenience. The findings offer important insights for health system leaders and private practice owners navigating appointment design, staffing and access models.

“Most patients in our study place strong importance on having a personal PCP and valued continuity of care,” the authors wrote. In fact, 94.1% of surveyed patients reported having a PCP, and 71.4% said it was “extremely important” to have a personal doctor.

When asked about specific visit types, more than half of patients expressed a strong preference to only see their own physician for follow-ups involving mental health (56.8%), chronic conditions (54.6%) or annual checkups (52.6%).

However, the willingness to wait changed significantly depending on the nature of the visit. Just 17.1% of respondents preferred to wait to see their own physician for a new symptom, and only 7.2% said they would wait for their PCP when experiencing an urgent concern.

To better understand how patients weighed the importance of continuity against wait time, the survey presented them with hypothetical scenarios.

For example, when asked whether they would rather see their own PCP in three to four weeks or another clinician available in 24 to 48 hours, 68.2% said they would wait for their physician if the issue might require a sensitive exam. Similarly, 61.1% would wait for a new concern about a chronic condition, and 58.9% would wait for a new mental health concern.

When symptoms were more acute or nonspecific — a sore throat or bodily pain — just 6.9% and 33.9% of respondents, respectively, preferred to wait.

The study also revealed demographic patterns in preferences. “For follow-up of a chronic health condition, patients with higher WMI scores had a higher likelihood of wanting to see only their PCP,” the authors reported, referring to the “What Matters Index,” a measure of self-reported health risk.

Education level played a role as well. Patients with a high school diploma or less had higher odds of wanting to see their own PCP for new symptoms or urgent concerns. For new symptoms, those with a high school education or general educational development test (GED) were 3.6 times more likely than college graduates to prefer their own doctor. Women were also more likely to prefer continuity for annual checkups.

“These patterns are similar to those in past studies highlighting that older age, worse self-reported health status, and female sex were associated with placing higher value on continuity of care,” the authors wrote.

The results offer timely guidance as health systems increasingly expand walk-in clinics, same-day scheduling, and team-based care models. While those efforts improve access, they may unintentionally chip away at continuity — something this study suggests patients still value highly in many contexts.

“Our data demonstrate that most patients are willing to wait three to four weeks to see their own PCP for certain types of visits, underscoring the importance of seeing someone they trust over the convenience of being seen more quickly,” the authors wrote.

For practice managers, these findings may help shape more flexible scheduling systems — perhaps by triaging based on visit type and offering patients choices that explicitly weigh speed versus familiarity. Practices could also use online scheduling tools to let patients decide how long they’re willing to wait to see their own physician versus the next available clinician.

The study’s authors caution that their findings may not generalize to all patient populations. The survey was conducted at six family medicine clinics in a large academic health system, and respondents had higher education levels than the national average. Still, the insights carry weight for any primary care practice aiming to balance access and relationship-driven care.

“Data from our study and others suggest that these shifts do not align with patient preferences for care, or with important health outcomes such as emergency department and hospital use,” authors concluded.

The full research article, “Convenience or Continuity: When Are Patients Willing to Wait to See Their Own Doctor?” appears in the March/April 2025 issue of Annals of Family Medicine.

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