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Primary Submission Category: Health equity
Digital Health Access and Population Health Inequality Among Older Adults in the United States
Authors: Srilakshmi Vedantam,
Presenting Author: Srilakshmi Vedantam*
Digital technologies have become central to how individuals access health information, communicate with healthcare providers, and manage their health. Patient portals, electronic messaging with providers, telehealth services, and online health information sources are increasingly embedded within healthcare systems. While these technologies may improve convenience and expand access to health information and care, their benefits may not be distributed equally across the population. Differences in digital access, digital skills, and engagement with digital health systems may contribute to emerging forms of inequality in population health, particularly among older adults who face greater health needs and varying levels of technological familiarity. This study examines how engagement with digital health systems is associated with population health–related indicators among adults aged 50 and older in the United States. Using nationally representative data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS-7), the analysis investigates three questions: (1) how digital health engagement behaviors—including accessing electronic health records, communicating with healthcare providers online, using telehealth services, and seeking health information on the internet—are distributed across socioeconomic and demographic groups; (2) whether digital health engagement is associated with indicators related to health perceptions and health management confidence; and (3) whether these associations vary across age groups in later life. Multivariate regression models assess relationships between digital engagement with healthcare systems and indicators such as self-rated health, confidence in managing health, and health-related communication with family or friends while accounting for education, income, age, race/ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics. By examining digital health engagement as a potential mechanism linking technological change and health inequality, this study contributes to population health research on how digital infrastructures may shape emerging patterns of health disparities in aging populations.