Turning to digital: Examining the relationship between offline healthcare barriers and U.S. older adults’ emotional well-being via online patient–provider communication and perceived quality of care (2017–2020)

Purpose

To examine the association between offline healthcare barriers and emotional well-being and assess the mediation roles of online patient–provider communication (OPPC) and perceived quality of care. This study also investigates the trends in offline healthcare barriers, OPPC, perceived quality of care, and emotional well-being over four years among the old population in the U.S.

Methods

Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycles 1, 2, and 4 were used. Mediation analysis and comparison analysis were employed.

Results

The results indicated an increment in OPPC and a decline in patient’s perceived quality of care between 2017 and 2020. Across the three years, offline healthcare barriers were consistently negatively associated with emotional well-being, and perceived quality of care remained a mediator in such a relationship. Moreover, the serial mediating roles of OPPC and perceived quality of care between offline healthcare barriers and emotional well-being turned from statistically non-significant (2017) to significant (2018, 2020).

Conclusion

Our results witness the growing adoption of OPPC among older adults and the evolution of OPPC as a complementary communication modality. The findings can support interventions to augment OPPC utilization and enhance the perception of quality care of older adults, contributing to their increased emotional well-being.