Far more older adults these days log on to secure websites or apps to connect with their health information or have a virtual health care appointment compared with five years ago, a new poll shows.

Overall, 78% of people aged 50 to 80 have used at least one patient portal, up from 51% in a poll taken five years ago, according to findings from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.

Of those with portal access, 55% had used it in the past month, and 49% have accounts on more than one portal.

But the poll also reveals major disparities, with some groups of older adults less likely to use patient portals, or more likely to have concerns about them.

Older adults with annual household incomes below $60,000, and those who are Black or Hispanic, have lower rates of portal use, and were less likely to say they’re comfortable using a portal than respondents who are higher-income or non-Hispanic white.

There were also differences among older adults who don’t use portals, or haven’t used one in three or more years.

Those who say they’re in fair or poor health physically or mentally were much more likely to say they’re not confident about their ability to log in to and navigate a portal than those with better physical or mental health.

Even among older adults who use online portals, the poll shows many still prefer phone calls for some tasks like scheduling appointments or asking a medical question. Portal users in general said they prefer the portal to the phone when it comes to tasks such as getting test results and requesting refills of their prescriptions.

The jump in portal use between polls done in 2018 and 2023 likely happened in part due to the increase in use of telehealth visits, says Denise Anthony, professor and chair of the department of health management and policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

The pandemic spurred many health systems, physician groups, and hospitals to support video visits within their secure websites and apps.

“This change makes access to secure portals even more important for older adults who want to see their doctors and other health care providers virtually. It also makes the disparities we found in our poll even more troubling,” says Anthony, who worked on the poll and studies use of telehealth and patient portals. “Improving the functionality and accessibility of portal systems, as well as providing more outreach and training to help patients understand and use portal systems, will be crucial to improving equity.”

Read the full article about patient portals for older adults by Kara Gavin at Futurity.