Assessing the Effects of eHealth Literacy and the Area Deprivation Index on Barriers to Electronic Patient Portal Use for Orthopedic Surgery: Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

As electronic patient portals (EPPs) continue to gain popularity and systems transition to online tools for scheduling, communication, and telehealth, patients without access or skills to use these tools may be overlooked.

Objective

This study analyzed patient and neighborhood-level factors, including eHealth literacy level and the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), that may limit EPP access for orthopedic surgery.

Methods

A cross-sectional, survey-based study was performed at a single urban tertiary academic medical center in the United States across foot and ankle, hand and upper extremity, and orthopedic trauma subspecialty clinics from June 21, 2022, to August 12, 2022. Survey responses (N=287) provided information on sociodemographic characteristics; barrie

SUBMITTER: Litvak AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12779103 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature