Open AccessPredictors of Patient Portal Use Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Author(s) -
Maan Isabella Cajita,
Marci Lee Nilsen,
Taya Irizarry,
Judith A. Callan,
Scott R. Beach,
Ellen Swartwout,
Laurel Person Mecca,
Richard Schulz,
Annette DeVito Dabbs
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
research in gerontological nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.544
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1940-4921
pISSN - 1938-2464
DOI - 10.3928/19404921-20200918-03
Subject(s) - patient portal , medicine , confounding , marital status , gerontology , gerontological nursing , health care , environmental health , nursing , pathology , population , economics , economic growth
Older adults lag behind their younger counterparts in the use of patient portals, which may limit their ability to engage in health care. A better understanding of the factors associated with portal use among older adults is needed. We examined the proportion of 100 community-dwelling older adults who reported using a portal, the associations between sociobehavioral factors and portal use, and modeled predictors of portal use. Of the 52% who reported using a portal, 28% used the portal on their own, and 24% received assistance from others or had others access the portal on their behalf. After controlling for confounders, only marital status was significantly associated with any portal use. Marital status and patient activation were significantly associated with independent portal use. Further exploration is warranted to identify additional factors and the possible mechanisms underlying portal use by older adults. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 14(1), 33-42.].