why are older adults skeptical of patient portal 2017

by Mr. Nikko Quigley DDS 8 min read

Older adults using a patient portal: registration and ...

9 hours ago Sep 02, 2018 · Despite the potential benefits of patient portals, previous research has identified several factors as barriers that have thus far hampered their use, including privacy concerns, 6 –8 unresponsiveness to messages sent to physicians, 8 a mismatch between patients’ expectations and the actual functionalities of a portal 6 as well as health literacy and usability problems. 9 … >> Go To The Portal


Previous research has identified that older adults are less likely to use patient portals due to issues with computer literacy, physical and cognitive limitations, and concerns regarding privacy [25, 26, 31].

Full Answer

Are older adults interested in using patient portals?

Sep 02, 2018 · Despite the potential benefits of patient portals, previous research has identified several factors as barriers that have thus far hampered their use, including privacy concerns, 6 –8 unresponsiveness to messages sent to physicians, 8 a mismatch between patients’ expectations and the actual functionalities of a portal 6 as well as health literacy and usability problems. 9 …

Can patient portals and ephrs be integrated into older adults’ health management?

Oct 16, 2017 · Even though our review included papers that analyzed patient portal and ePHR use among age groups other than older adults, we did not do a comparison between older adults and those other age groups. In addition, because of the large range of ages, 60 years and older, we did not distinguish the impact of age on the exposure to technology.

Are prior patient portals a tool for health care engagement?

Oct 16, 2017 · Background: The older adult population (65 years or older) in the United States is growing, and it is important for communities to consider ways to support the aging population. Patient portals and electronic personal health records (ePHRs) are technologies that could better serve populations with the highest health care needs, such as older adults.

What is the age range for older adults?

Several studies captured features that older adults wanted from these systems such as further assistance managing health-related tasks and contextual health advice and tips. Conclusions: More research is needed to better understand the patient portal experience among older adults from initial use to adoption. There are also opportunities to explore the role of design in …

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Why do people not use patient portals?

For some people, they avoid using the portals altogether for reasons like security issues, low health literacy, or lack of internet. Even for those who do access their accounts, there are still other disadvantages of patient portals.Nov 11, 2021

What age group is more likely to access their health information via a patient portal?

65–69 years oldRates of Internet and smartphone use, as well as broadband access, are all higher in patients 65–69 years old as compared to those ages 80 and older. Beyond access to technologies, other barriers include older adults' attitudes about use of technology to communicate about their health.Sep 6, 2018

What are the cons of patient portals?

One con to keep in mind with patient portals is that some patients may not have much experience with computers, preventing them from getting the most out of it. Another drawback is the potential for data breaches, so you'll need to work with a vendor that provides robust, secure EHR software.May 23, 2017

How do patients feel about patient portals?

Some patients recognize the role of patient portals in their health care, reporting satisfaction with the ability to communicate with their health care teams and perform tasks such as requesting prescription refills conveniently [3,16].

Do patient portals improve outcomes?

Patient portal interventions lead to improvements in a wide range of psychobehavioral outcomes, such as health knowledge, self-efficacy, decision making, medication adherence, and preventive service use.Dec 19, 2019

Are patient portals effective?

There was insufficient evidence to support the use of patient portals to improve clinical outcomes. Understanding the role of patient portals as an effective intervention strategy is an essential step to encourage patients to be actively engaged in their health care.

What are the pros and cons of patient portals?

What are the Top Pros and Cons of Adopting Patient Portals?Pro: Better communication with chronically ill patients.Con: Healthcare data security concerns.Pro: More complete and accurate patient information.Con: Difficult patient buy-in.Pro: Increased patient ownership of their own care.Feb 17, 2016

What is the role of an HIM professional with regards to patient portals?

The HIM professional's role will be to help manage that access portal and to help patients manage the information held within it.

Why is it important to establish patient ownership of the healthcare record?

By maintaining a PHR patients can ensure that the information contained in their health record is accurate, updated, and inclusive. Patients can provide more accurate medical history information to their doctors and share important health tracking information from their online health journal and home health devices.

Why are patient portals important and how do they benefit patients?

Patient portals provide the ability for patients to have 24-hour access to connect with their provider by reviewing patient health information (PHI), asking and answering questions, and reviewing notes, making the patient-physician relationship closer than ever.Dec 8, 2017

How do patient portals contribute to patient centered care?

Further, portals help providers educate their patients and prepare them for future care encounters. When patients have access to their health data, they are better informed, and have the potential to generate deep and meaningful conversations regarding patient wellness during doctor's appointments.May 13, 2016

What is the goal of hie?

The purpose of HIE is to promote the appropriate and secure access and retrieval of a patient's health information to improve the cost, quality, safety and speed of patient care.

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Background and objectives

The interest of older adults in using patient portals is rising, yet subject to functional and usability barriers. This study aims to gain insight into registration rates and experiences of older adult patients using a patient portal, one year after implementation in an academic hospital.

Methods

Registration rates for one year were collected via automated data extraction. Older adult patients’ experiences were collected through a survey, available via the portal in the last three months of the year.

Results

Older adults were a large user group of the patient portal and appreciated its functionalities. In one year, 10,679 older adult patients (aged 56+) registered, which constituted 47% of total portal registrations.

Introduction

Over the past few decades, there has been a significant proliferation in the implementation and use of electronic health records (EHRs) creating vast opportunities for improvement in the efficiency and quality of patient care as well as reduction in healthcare costs.

Design and methods

As part of the implementation of a new EHR system, the Academic Medical Center (AMC) in Amsterdam launched a tethered patient portal, named ‘ Mijn Dossier’ (MyChart) on 25 October 2015.

Results

Figure 1 and Online Appendix B show the registration rates of MyChart of older adult patients per age cluster; in total 10,679 older adults activated their MyChart account in one year, this is 47% of all 22,724 patients who activated a patient portal account and 20% of all 53,215 older adults who had a visit in the hospital between 25 October 2015 and 25 October 2016.

Challenges and Opportunities

Author Affiliations: University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD.

Abstract

Patient portals can be beneficial for older adults who manage their own health. However, there is a lack of research on older adults’ experience using patient portals in the community. The aim of this study was to assess older adults’ perceived usability of patient portals they currently use.

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How many people will be 65 by 2060?

THE UNITED STATES—AND THE WORLD—ARE AGING. The number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to double from 46 million to more than 98 million by 2060. It will be the fi rst time in history that the number of older adults outnumbers children under age 5. In addition, older adults will live longer than ever before: One out of every four 65-year-olds today will live past age 90. This demographic shift has moved the focus of re-searchers, health care providers, and policymakers from how to extend the lifespan to ways to improve the quality of our later years.

Is it common for older adults to have health issues?

number of physical changes and health issues are more common as we age. However, just as all older adults are not the same, their health status also varies. Many are active and healthy, whereas others are frail, with multiple health conditions.

What is patient portal?

Patient portals have emerged as the crux of patient engagement. By hosting lab results and communication tools, as well as some add-on features such as prescription refill requests or appointment scheduling, patient portals have proven to be critical to meaningful patient activation.

When do healthcare organizations need patient portals?

March 31, 2017 - Healthcare organizations need patient portal adoption campaigns tailored to older patients to create a more robust portal buy-in, according to research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. This is necessary regardless of a patient’s reported comfort with or past use of a web-based health technology.

Do older patients adopt portals?

However, research also shows that older patients and their caregivers are less likely to adopt patient portals than their younger counterparts. Healthcare organizations have identified a need to center their adoption efforts on older patients’ needs, helping to drive patient portal use in this key population.

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