Older adults are the largest consumers of health care and require the greatest portion of health care costs. How older adults manage their health has profound consequences for health delivery systems, health care expenditure, and public health. Faced with changes in functioning, chronic diseases and transitions in living situation, older adults require organized access to their health information to make significant health-related decisions. Personal health information management (PHIM) systems for older adults exist, but few older adults use them. Limitations include poor health literacy, poor computer skills, and physical or cognitive disabilities. The goal of this research is to improve the design of PHIM systems for older adults through advancing our understanding of the PHIM needs, practices and preferences of older adults and their stakeholders. Using an integrative sociotechnical approach, our multidisciplinary research team will conduct a series of qualitative interviews, focus groups, surveys and usability studies to gain a deeper understanding of older adult personal health information management needs and context. This research will address the following aims: 1) Characterize the personal health information management (PHIM) needs and practices of older adults from diverse socioeconomic groups and in a variety of residential contexts, 2) Examine the roles which key stakeholders play in personal health information management for older adults, 3) Use the Balance Theory framework to model the personal health information needs and practices of older adults and 4) Develop a set of design concepts, design and design guidelines to meet the identified PHIM needs and preferences. The long term goal of this work is to improve the design and development of health information management systems that support the health and independence of older adults.

Public Health Relevance

Older adults are the largest consumers of health care and their use of the healthcare system has profound consequences for the nation's health care delivery as a whole. It is essential that older adults have organized access to health information for making informed decisions that are both efficient and consonant with their needs and values. Through advancing our understanding of the health information management needs and practices of older adults, this research will inform the design of effective health information management systems that support the health and independence of older adults.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
4R01HS022106-03
Application #
8917150
Study Section
Health Care Technology and Decision Science (HTDS)
Program Officer
Makar, Ellen
Project Start
2013-09-30
Project End
2018-08-31
Budget Start
2015-09-01
Budget End
2016-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Administration
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
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Sakaguchi-Tang, Dawn K; Bosold, Alyssa L; Choi, Yong K et al. (2017) Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review. JMIR Med Inform 5:e38
Turner, Anne; Osterhage, Katie; Joe, Jonathan et al. (2015) Use of Patient Portals: Personal Health Information Management in Older Adults. Stud Health Technol Inform 216:978
Turner, Anne M; Osterhage, Katie; Hartzler, Andrea et al. (2015) Use of Patient Portals for Personal Health Information Management: The Older Adult Perspective. AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2015:1234-41
Turner, Anne M; Petrochilos, Deanna; Nelson, David E et al. (2009) Access and use of the Internet for health information seeking: a survey of local public health professionals in the northwest. J Public Health Manag Pract 15:67-9