Introduction: Bayview Senior Community Center serves adults 50 and over in Escambia County, offering a safe, supportive environment for social well-being. A needs assessment identified limited digital health literacy as an issue. Evidence shows older adults who use patient portals and related tools have improved health outcomes.
Aims: The purpose of this project was to educate older adults about the benefits of patient portals and medical identification (MID). After this educational event participants will (1) Discuss benefits of patient portals to manage health; (2) Identify three MID components that assist first responders; and (3) Demonstrate how to set up a MID in a cell phone.
Methods: The group designed three deliverables for the seminar: (1) Presentation titled Get the Scoop on Health Technology covering the importance of patient portals, MID, and setup; (2) Pamphlet titled Let’s Learn about Patient Portals with key information; and (3) Step-by-step instructions titled Medical ID “Setup Guide.” Plain language and large font were used to address health literacy.
Results: Nine participants attended the seminar and received educational materials and demonstrated understanding of medical ID components and patient portal use. All participants were assisted in successfully creating a medical ID on their smartphone. 9(100%) participants agreed the seminar was beneficial.
Conclusion: There is a gap between the aging population and technology. This project helped to empower older adults to use digital tools for safer, more independent health management. The model effectively promoted confidence, autonomy, and safety, and can be replicated to advance digital health equity.
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Bridging Aging and Medical Technology1.71 MBDownloadView