“Addressing barriers to digital health readiness among a Latino population”

Abstract

Objective

There are many potential barriers to an individual's readiness and ability to use telehealth, including technology access, trust and knowledge. This qualitative study was a partnership between Jefferson and Esperanza Health Center (EHC), focused on addressing barriers to digital readiness among the Latino population served by EHC.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with Latino patients to assess their experiences with technology and willingness to learn more about technology for healthcare. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a content analysis approach.

Results

We completed 28 interviews. Most interviews (n = 23, 82 %) were conducted in Spanish. Barriers to using health technology included forgetting passwords, platforms not being available in multiple languages, and lacking digital skills.

Conclusion

Participants identified a need and interest in receiving support to develop technological skills needed to access health information and engage in digital health services. Future work is needed to develop patient-centered interventions to support the digital health readiness needs of underserved populations.

Innovation

Healthcare systems and community health organizations can partner to build the capacity of community members to identify barriers in digital health use. These partnerships have the potential to empower communities to create culturally sensitive interventions that aim to increase digital health literacy.