World Wide Web

Health care

Pure mathematics

Materials science

Archaeology

Dimension (graph theory)

Casual

The Internet

Economics

Computer science

Typology

Anthropology

Environmental health

Internet privacy

eHealth

Psychology

Chronic disease

Mathematics

Geography

Population

Family medicine

Sociology

Digital health

Composite material

Medicine

Economic growth

The International Journal of Health Planning and Management

This cross‐sectional descriptive study aims to (1) describe the current digital technology (DT) use of people with chronic diseases (CD) by identifying different user profiles and (2) determine whether those profiles have specific characteristics regarding health‐related variables and patient–doctor relationship quality (RQ). An online questionnaire assessing the uses of multiple types of DT (the Internet, mobile applications and connected devices) and several dimensions related to health and patient–doctor RQ was completed by 954 individuals living with CD. DT user groups were obtained by k ‐means cluster analysis and then compared using Mann–Whitney tests. The results show three profiles of DT users: (1) hyperconnected (8.9%, regular users of all DTs), (2) biconnected (19.1%, regular users of the Internet and mobile apps) and (3) hypoconnected (72%, casual users of the Internet only). The hyperconnected and biconnected groups are more empowered, more knowledgeable about their treatment and more committed to their doctors than the hypoconnected group. Nonadherence to treatment, health motivations, self‐efficacy for health management and the trust dimension of the patient–doctor RQ did not differ between groups. We conclude by discussing the low use of the most recent technologies in the CD population, although these technologies seem to provide access to health information that empowers patients and leads to a better relationship with their doctors.

Digital health and management of chronic disease: A multimodal technologies typology