Patient portals (PPs), secure websites that allow patients to access their electronic health records and other health tools, can benefit older adults managing chronic conditions. However, studies have shown a lack of PP use in older adults. Little is known about the way they use PPs in community settings and specific challenges they encounter. The aim of this study was to examine the current state of PP use in older adults, employing baseline data (quantitative and qualitative) from an ongoing nationwide online trial. The dataset includes 272 older adults (mean age, 70.0 years [50-92]) with chronic conditions. Findings showed that the majority of participants (71.3%) were using one or more PPs, but in limited ways. Their comments revealed practical difficulties with managing PPs, perceived benefits, and suggestions for improvement. Further studies with different older adult groups (e.g., clinic patients) will help develop and disseminate more usable PPs for these individuals.

中文翻译：

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老年人使用患者门户网站：全国范围内到底发生了什么？

患者门户（PPs）是使患者能够访问其电子健康记录和其他健康工具的安全网站，可以使管理慢性病的老年人受益。但是，研究表明，老年人缺乏PP的使用。对于他们在社区环境中使用PP的方式以及所遇到的特定挑战知之甚少。这项研究的目的是使用一项正在进行的全国在线试验的基线数据（定量和定性）来检查老年人PP的使用现状。该数据集包括272位患有慢性病的老年人（平均年龄70.0岁[50-92]）。研究结果表明，大多数参与者（71.3％）使用一种或多种PP，但使用方式有限。他们的评论揭示了在管理PP方面的实际困难，感知到的好处以及改进建议。