Seniors Increasingly Using Online Healthcare Portals, National Poll on Health Aging Finds

The National Poll on Health Aging estimated that more seniors are setting up and using online portals to meet their healthcare needs, reports Becker's Hospital Review . Out of about 2,000 respondents between 50 and 80 years old, 52 percent ages 50 to 64 and 49 percent ages 65 to 80 have set up portals. Women were slightly more likely than men to use a portal, with viewing test results, refilling prescriptions, and scheduling appointments named the top reasons they use them. Moreover, persons 65 to 80 years old were more likely to say they dislike communicating about their health by computer, versus younger respondents. Respondents cited disliking communicating about their health via computer, having no need for a portal, and not knowing they had to set one up as reasons for forgoing a portal. Twenty-six percent of those who have not set one up were worried there was a larger chance of error with a portal than talking with someone by phone or in person, while 43 percent of those who did set one up said they have authorized another party to view their portal information such as their spouse or partner, an adult child, or another relative. Meanwhile, 21 percent considered the portal better able to explain their request, 47 percent rated the phone as better, and 32 percent rated both more or less equal. Thirty-four percent said the portal can better elicit a timely response, 36 percent said the phone is better, and 30 percent said they are about the same. In terms of helping them better understand information from providers, 30 percent preferred the portal, 27 favored the phone, and 43 percent rated them about equal.