Shih Huan-Ju, Min Hua, Chang Jongwha
Department of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
Patient Prefer Adherence. 2025 Jan 13;19:87-96. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S495318. eCollection 2025.
Digital health techniques were adopted faster during COVID-19, but the gap remains. This study analyzes how the digital gap affected pandemic patient portal uptake during and after. Patient portals improve physician connections and patient health information access, increasing health outcomes. Digital divide-lack of internet, digital literacy, and SDOH-may inhibit fair adoption. One study found that the internet and IT affected people during and after the pandemic. Learn why this patient demographic uses online patient portals so much. Like finding demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral characteristics that affect portal usage, specifically drivers and barriers for health-conscious patients. This project developed a health promotion model and implemented initiatives to increase patient portal use and reduce health inequities.
In 2020 and 2022, we used Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data. Patient portal use dominated. Our cross-sectional study assessed patient portal use and various predictors. Age, marital status, sex, mental health, education, income, urban/rural (urbanity), family size, trust, social media use, chronic condition, and health app use predict. We handled survey data collection biases with weighted analyses. Data was computed using survey weights for population representation. Logistic regression and weighted descriptive statistics utilized STATA SE 16.1.
Demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral characteristics significantly affect online patient portal use. Portal usage is positively correlated with health app use, urbanity, higher income, sex, Asian/Native American race/ethnicity, and hospital trust. In addition, our data shows low adoption rates across the digital divide. Patients who trust others utilize patient portals, and previously established characteristics affect self-motivation for health improvement.
Access obstacles and behavioral factors affect online patient portal adoption. Addressing the digital divide is crucial, but trust and self-motivation may improve patient portal utilization. Adopting health IT can improve patient participation and access to care, supporting equitable health outcomes.
在新冠疫情期间，数字健康技术的采用速度加快，但差距依然存在。本研究分析了数字鸿沟如何影响疫情期间及之后患者门户网站的使用情况。患者门户网站改善了医患联系以及患者获取健康信息的渠道，从而提高了健康水平。数字鸿沟——缺乏互联网、数字素养以及社会人口学特征——可能会阻碍其公平采用。一项研究发现，互联网和信息技术在疫情期间及之后对人们产生了影响。了解为什么这一患者群体如此频繁地使用在线患者门户网站。比如找出影响门户网站使用的人口统计学、社会经济和行为特征，特别是对注重健康的患者的驱动因素和障碍。该项目开发了一种健康促进模式，并实施了相关举措，以增加患者门户网站的使用并减少健康不平等现象。
在2020年和2022年，我们使用了健康信息国家趋势调查（HINTS）数据。以患者门户网站的使用情况为主。我们的横断面研究评估了患者门户网站的使用情况以及各种预测因素。年龄、婚姻状况、性别、心理健康、教育程度、收入、城乡（城市化程度）、家庭规模、信任度、社交媒体使用情况、慢性病以及健康应用程序的使用情况均可作为预测因素。我们通过加权分析来处理调查数据收集偏差。使用调查权重对数据进行计算，以代表总体情况。使用STATA SE 16.1进行逻辑回归和加权描述性统计分析。
人口统计学、社会经济和行为特征对在线患者门户网站的使用有显著影响。门户网站的使用与健康应用程序的使用、城市化程度、较高收入、性别、亚洲/美洲原住民种族/族裔以及医院信任度呈正相关。此外，我们的数据显示，在数字鸿沟的各个方面采用率都很低。信任他人的患者会使用患者门户网站，先前确定的特征会影响自我改善健康的动力。
获取障碍和行为因素会影响在线患者门户网站的采用。解决数字鸿沟至关重要，但信任和自我激励可能会提高患者门户网站的利用率。采用健康信息技术可以提高患者的参与度和获得医疗服务的机会，从而支持公平的健康结果。
