%0 Journal Article
%@ 2561-7605
%I JMIR Publications
%V 6
%N 
%P e45641
%T Patient Perceptions of e-Visits: Qualitative Study of Older Adults to Inform Health System Implementation
%A Judson,Timothy J
%A Subash,Meera
%A Harrison,James D
%A Yeager,Jan
%A Williams,Aimée M
%A Grouse,Carrie K
%A Byron,Maria
%+ Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, Box 0131, 521 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States, 1 415 514 8755, Timothy.judson@ucsf.edu
%K e-visit
%K patient portal message
%K digital health tool
%K patient portal
%K perception
%K attitude
%K qualitative
%K e-consult
%K remote care
%K remote visit
%K remote consult
%K vulnerable
%K messaging
%K telehealth
%K telemedicine
%K eHealth
%D 2023
%7 26.5.2023
%9 Original Paper
%J JMIR Aging
%G English
%X Background: Electronic visits (e-visits) are billable, asynchronous patient-initiated messages that require at least five minutes of medical decision-making by a provider. Unequal use of patient portal tools like e-visits by certain patient populations may worsen health disparities. To date, no study has attempted to qualitatively assess perceptions of e-visits in older adults. Objective: In this qualitative study, we aimed to understand patient perceptions of e-visits, including their perceived utility, barriers to use, and care implications, with a focus on vulnerable patient groups. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth structured individual interviews with patients from diverse backgrounds to assess their knowledge and perceptions surrounding e-visits as compared with unbilled portal messages and other visit types. We used content analysis to analyze interview data. Results: We conducted 20 interviews, all in adults older than 65 years. We identified 4 overarching coding categories or themes. First, participants were generally accepting of the concept of e-visits and willing to try them. Second, nearly two-thirds of the participants voiced a preference for synchronous communication. Third, participants had specific concerns about the name “e-visit” and when to choose this type of visit in the patient portal. Fourth, some participants indicated discomfort using or accessing technology for e-visits. Financial barriers to the use of e-visits was not a common theme. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that older adults are generally accepting of the concept of e-visits, but uptake may be limited due to their preference for synchronous communication. We identified several opportunities to improve e-visit implementation. 
%M 37234031
%R 10.2196/45641
%U https://aging.jmir.org/2023/1/e45641
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/45641
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37234031