Home Care Nurses' Perspectives Regarding Health Information Management Among Older Adults.
Youjeong Kang, Jean O Taylor, Katie Osterhage and 1 others
PMID 31688466WHAT IT FOUND
Home care nurses find it hard to get accurate health information from older adults because patients often forget details, ignore written discharge summaries, or lack computer skills.
Nurses prefer printed materials and verbal repetition over patient portals, which most older adults do not use.
Key findings
01Nurses report that older adults frequently fail to update or even look at their health information after hospital visits due to cognitive issues or lack of organization.
02Nurses prefer providing information in printed or written formats because most patients lack computers, but they worry patients will not organize these papers.
03Nurses are reluctant to help patients use online portals due to lack of time, training, and concerns about privacy or breaking devices.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only 17 nurses from two urban agencies, so findings may not apply to rural settings or other regions. Results are based on nurses' perceptions of patient behavior, not direct observation of patients. Potential bias in coding and interpretation by the research team.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that patient portals are ineffective for older adults in general. The study shows nurses perceive barriers in *their* ability to support portal use and notes that many patients lack access or skills, but it does not measure patient outcomes or portal efficacy directly.