Smartphone-only Internet access is associated with lower patient portal use among those from some minority racial/ethnic groups, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers examined whether smartphone-only Internet access was associated with patient portal use. Data from the 2017-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey was analyzed (8,790 adults). The study team found that the number of US residents with smartphone-only Internet access significantly increased from 21.6% in 2017 to 31.1% in 2020, while patient portal use significantly increased from 44.0% to 54.8% during the same period. Non-Hispanic Black participants (OR, 1.32) and Hispanic participants (OR, 1.33) had significantly higher odds of smartphone-only Internet access versus non-Hispanic White participants. Individuals in the highest income category (≥$75,000) had significantly lower odds of smartphone-only Internet access versus individuals with lower income (<$20,000; OR, 0.57). Smartphone-only Internet access was associated with significantly lower odds of portal use versus access with a wired connection (OR, 0.82). “After accounting for smartphone-only Internet access, some patients (eg, those with lower income) were still less likely to use portals, suggesting multimodal strategies are needed for overcoming the digital divide,” the authors wrote.

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