A new tool developed by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University aims to bridge the gap in telehealth access by considering patients’ digital and health literacy, trust and other critical factors.
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have unveiled a pioneering screening tool designed to measure digital health readiness, a significant step toward addressing telehealth adoption barriers among diverse patient populations.
Telehealth saw a massive uptick during the COVID-19 pandemic as health care systems shifted away from traditional in-person visits. While this ensured continued access to vital health care, it also highlighted disparities in telehealth usage across different demographics. Simply owning a smartphone or computer doesn’t necessarily mean patients can effectively engage in telehealth services.
Previous studies have shown that telehealth uptake varies based on a patient’s digital and health literacy, as well as their level of trust. However, until now, there hasn’t been a comprehensive tool that encapsulates all these barriers. The Thomas Jefferson University research team has developed the “Digital Health Readiness Screener” to fill this gap.
“Do they trust the use of technology to engage in private conversations, like medical conversations? Do they have a private place in which they can engage in telehealth? All of these are really important aspects of someone’s readiness to engage in telehealth that are newer to the conversation and are things that we need to be able to quantify and figure out interventions to address,” senior author Kristin Rising, the executive director of the Jefferson Center for Connected Care and a professor of emergency medicine, population health and nursing at Thomas Jefferson University, said in a news release.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, involved 367 participants.
The researchers began by conducting focus groups and interviews to identify components that make up digital health readiness. They crafted and refined screener items based on patient feedback and tested the tool with 304 patients.
The results showed that those with higher education levels and younger individuals had better technical readiness, while a high health literacy score correlated with higher overall readiness. The final screener includes 24 items measuring technical readiness and quality of care concerns, providing a nuanced understanding of patient barriers.
“My goal is to make sure that everyone receives the tools and education they need to make informed decisions about when and whether they use telehealth,” added Rising. “Ultimately, it’s going to be everyone’s decision, and some people are still going to decide they never want to use telehealth.”
Rising and her team are not stopping with the screener. They are conducting direct outreach through the Jefferson Digital Onboarding Taskforce, which assists hospitalized patients in using digital health tools like patient portals. The initiative aims to build technical skills and trust, ultimately broadening telehealth’s reach.
In 2023, Rising secured a $400,000 grant from the MANNA Institute to refine the Nutrition Support Assessment Tool, aimed at improving access to nutrition support. Her ultimate vision for the Digital Health Readiness Screener is to create a shorter version that can be used routinely in health care settings.
“Digital health equity is something that health systems are interested in addressing, and to date, there has been a lack of clarity about how to do so,” co-author Amy Leader, an associate director at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center – Jefferson Health, said in the news release. “We hope that this screener provides a tangible starting point.”
As health care continues to evolve, tools like the Digital Health Readiness Screener could play a crucial role in en suring that advancements in telehealth technology translate to equitable health outcomes for all.