Report: Patient Portals Top Tech Use for Older Adults

Older U.S. adults are increasingly using digital health technologies (DHTs), but a new survey reveals that the technology they frequent the most is a patient portal.

A recent survey published in JAMA Network Open measured older adults’ use of patient portals, telehealth visits, and mobile applications on devices including computers, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and fitness trackers. Investigators surveyed a total of 2,110 participants who were between the ages of 50 and 80 years old.

The survey found that of the 81.4 percent of the older U.S. adults using technology, 64.5 percent used patient portals, 49.1 percent utilized telehealth, and 44 percent used mobile applications.

“Older adults use various types of DHT, and they use patient portals most often,” the survey says. “Although some older adults have unique physical and cognitive needs that can affect the utility and usability of DHTs, in aggregate they share some predictors of DHT use with younger adults.”

Specifically, the survey found that people who were between 50 and 59 were 2.41 times more likely to use technology, while those 60 to 69 years old were 1.68 more likely to use technology compared to other age groups.

Additionally, it found that females were more likely than males to use digital health technologies. Those who were non-Hispanic Black, have a higher education, have a higher income, and live in metropolitan areas were also more likely than others to utilize digital health technologies.

The study showed “a statistically significant association between non-Hispanic Black race and ethnicity and DHT use.” However, the authors note that this could be due to medical mistrust among Black patients – leading to a decreased engagement with the health system and an increased reliance on digital health technologies.

“Study limitations include use of self-reported data, and we did not evaluate some DHTs (eg, internet searches, social media) reported in other studies,” the survey notes. “Additionally, reported use of technology does not indicate independence because caregivers may assist with technology use.”

“This study highlights the need to carefully consider the unique characteristics of older adults when developing and deploying DHTs to avoid worsening the digital divide,” it concludes.