Opening healthcare's digital front door was supposed to help drive consumer engagement, but according to a new report from CVS Health, low digital health literacy is limiting that potential -- and patients' abilities to manage their own health.
The report, "Navigating the Digital Health Literacy Gap," specifically surveyed a nationally representative sample of Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older.
The authors found that digital health literacy leaves much to be desired among this population, leaving 58% unable to fully manage their own health.
Digital health literacy has become a must-have competency for patients, as the medical industry has embraced consumer-centered tools designed to increase efficiency.
The patient portal, online appointment scheduling systems and digital bill pay have become commonplace as healthcare organizations respond to trends of healthcare consumerism. These technologies help make care more convenient and drive operational efficiency.
But these tools require a high level of technical know-how, the CVS Health authors explained. Individuals with proficient or high digital health literacy will have an easier time using health IT because they can access, understand and navigate these digital tools.
But without those skills, patients might be left unable to navigate the healthcare system or even manage their health.
Digital health literacy remains elusive for seniors
For the survey, the researchers looked at four domains they said comprise digital health literacy:
- Navigating online health information.
- Digital knowledge or understanding how to use computers, navigate websites or use online apps.
- Digital access, including hardware, software and broadband necessary to leverage health IT.
- Digital privacy and trust, or comfort sharing personal and healthcare-related information digitally.
The researchers analyzed patient perspectives across those four domains to determine whether they are tech-resistant, tech-intermediate or tech-savvy.
The good news is, seniors aren't complete luddites. The researchers said 71% of seniors are considered tech-intermediate, meaning they feel capable of using technology and prefer to use it for convenience and efficiency. Importantly, tech-intermediate people are open to learning more about how they can use technology.
Meanwhile, 14% of seniors are considered tech-resistant, while 15% are considered tech-savvy.
Some demographic factors were linked to digital health literacy, the researchers added. For example, older seniors over age 80 were more likely to have low digital health literacy. Additionally, individuals making more than $100,000 annually and those with higher educational attainment were more likely to have higher digital health literacy.
Low digital health literacy stands in the way of healthcare management
As healthcare increasingly adopts patient-facing digital tools -- and emerging trends like AI chatbots continue to shape the patient experience -- digital health literacy has become table stakes.
After all, when patients can't use the tools that are designed to help them manage their health, those tools are rendered useless. Perhaps more troubling, patient health might falter. According to the survey, low digital health literacy has kept 58% of seniors from adequately managing their own healthcare.
That can lead to lost ROI and high downstream costs, from missed appointments to poor chronic disease management.
Healthcare organizations need to redesign their digital health literacy efforts, especially as they are offered to senior populations.
According to the report, 86% of seniors are open to using health IT for patient engagement, but without the right resources available, patients may not be able to make use of those tools.
Creating opportunities to grow digital health literacy
CVS Health recommended offering more human-led educational opportunities, either in-person or digital and on-demand, to help guide seniors through different consumer-facing technologies. For example, letting seniors connect with a human navigator to help them enroll in a payer portal when starting a Medicare Advantage plan, or deploying community health workers to help seniors learn how to sign on to a telehealth appointment.
Sending reminders to sign up for digital tools and about the educational opportunities available could also be useful, the report authors added.
Healthcare organizations could also create financial assistance programs to bridge the gap for seniors who lack access to digital tools or reliable broadband. Some organizations have begun lobbying state legislatures to expand broadband access, too.
Finally, organizations must consider data privacy. Offering clear disclosures about the data protections iused on these tools, plus creating simple yet secure login and two-factor authentication processes, will be key.
Failure to create these educational opportunities could result in failure to engage an entire population, according to Benjamin Kornitzer, the senior vice president and chief medical officer of Aetna, a CVS Health company.
After all, the data shows seniors are receptive to using digital tools. Now, it is up to healthcare stakeholders to drive better digital health literacy.
"We're caring for the fastest growing and most clinically complex population in the country, and what we found in the research challenges a common assumption -- older adults actually are more open to engaging with technology than many think," Kornitzer said in a press release.
"It creates a real opportunity to meet them where they are and provide day to day support, whether it's managing medications, following up after a visit, or staying on track with chronic conditions. Technology and engagement can help them live healthier, more independent lives."
Sara Heath is an executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare Media, where she covers patient engagement, healthcare policy and health IT.
