Enhancing Digital Health Equity: A Personalized Approach for Spanish-Speaking Patients

Authors

Marissa Witmer, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Julianna LeNoir, MPH, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Angela Gerolamo, PhD, CRNP, PMHNP, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Akshay Krishnan, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
David Rigas, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Kristin L. Rising, MD, MSHP, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Files

Description

Background

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) is a barrier among Hispanic communities in accessing digital health tools including patient portals.¹

Patient portals provide patients with access to their electronic medical records. With portals, patients can schedule visits, message providers, check test results, and order medication refills, among other tasks.

Portal use has been shown to help patients better manage chronic diseases, enhance doctor-patient relationships, improve patient understanding and awareness of health status, and increase adherence to therapy.²

Despite interest in using patient portals, Spanish-speaking patients often struggle to use them due to low digital literacy.³

Provision of personalized digital support during hospitalization may be an option for improving use of MyChart (the Epic patient portal used at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital) among patients. (See Figure 1 for MyChart Spanish Interface)

Publication Date

10-19-2024

Keywords

Spanish, digital health equity, patient portal, digital literacy

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Nursing

Comments

Presented at the 2024 2nd Annual Hispanic Cancer Care Conference.

Recommended Citation

Witmer, Marissa; LeNoir, MPH, Julianna; Gerolamo, PhD, CRNP, PMHNP, Angela; Krishnan, Akshay; Rigas, David; and Rising, MD, MSHP, Kristin L., "Enhancing Digital Health Equity: A Personalized Approach for Spanish-Speaking Patients" (2024). College of Nursing Posters. 34.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/nursingposters/34