The Association Between Sociodemographic Factors and Patient Portal Utilization Across Orthopaedic Subspecialties

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Health Services Research
• Digital Health Equity

Background:

• Patient portal (PP) usage improves patient engagement and care quality but faces disparities due to digital literacy and access.
• Limited comprehensive analyses exist on PP utilization across orthopaedic subspecialties.
• Social determinants of health (SDOH) are critical factors influencing PP adoption and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify SDOH associated with PP utilization in orthopaedic surgery.
• To assess the impact of PP utilization on clinical outcomes across subspecialties.
• To understand disparities in PP adoption within orthopaedic care.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 33,143 orthopaedic encounters (2021-2022).
• Assessed SDOH including age, race, insurance, and urbanicity.
• Analyzed associations between SDOH, PP use, and outcomes like readmissions and ED visits.

Main Results:

• PP utilization varied significantly by subspecialty (71.7% in trauma to 93.9% in sports medicine).
• Lower PP use observed in older, non-White, uninsured, and rural populations.
• PP non-users faced higher odds of 30-day ED return, readmission, and non-home discharge.

Conclusions:

• PP utilization in orthopaedics is influenced by SDOH and subspecialty.
• Non-adoption of PPs correlates with adverse clinical outcomes.
• Targeted interventions are crucial to enhance PP adoption and reduce care disparities.