Dive Brief:
- A new study appearing in the Journal of General Internal Medicine concludes that less than one-third of Americans aged 65+ use the Internet for health information or to access an EMR or portal.
- Seniors with low health literacy fared even worse, with barely 10% going online to use health resources, researchers concluded.
- The study suggests that programs be developed to create interventions targeting health literacy among older adults, not just to facilitate the use of Web resources, but to avoid exacerbating disparities in health access and outcomes.
Dive Insight:
More than ever before, having and using Internet access is important in maintaining personal health. Not only does the Web offer a tremendous volume of critical health information, it also offers patients of many health systems and medical practices access to their own medical records. Patients can also get reminders of when wellness and screening tests are due, review lab results and get key information on getting and using prescription medications safely.
However, it appears that many seniors are not reaping the benefits of the knowledge and assistance available online. Many factors can pose barriers to senior Internet use, including not knowing how to use basic Internet software or simply feeling uncomfortable with computers.
It will take a lot of effort to get the roughly two-thirds of seniors who don't seek online health information to do so, but as the researchers point out, it could prove important to their health to do so. It will also mean reaching out to the low-income elderly; according to a separate study, only 39% of homes with incomes of $30,000 are online at all.