ADAPTING PATIENT PRIORITIES CARE TO BRIDGE - THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: A PATIENT-CENTERED, VALUES-BASED APPROACH

Sep 29, 2026

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Digital literacy is essential for accessing health information, maintaining social connections, and enhancing quality of life. Many older adults face barriers, especially those with frailty and from historically marginalized communities, increasing healthcare and social disparities. The Patient Priorities Care (PPC) framework elicits patient values and guides decisions; this study applies PPC to support broader research and wellness efforts, centering patients’ voices. A randomized pilot enrolled diverse adults (N=20) across 4–6 in-home sessions to co-develop personalized digital strategies, reporting changes in digital literacy and self-efficacy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and rationale

Study design and intervention

Expected and observed outcomes

Future directions

590 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2022 ADAPTING PATIENT PRIORITIES CARE TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: A PATIENT-CENTERED, VALUES-BASED APPROACH Melissa Hladek1, Olivia Rubio2, Samantha Curriero1, Elisa Letts3, and Sarah Szanton1, 1. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 2. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, 3. Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, United States Digital literacy is essential for accessing health information, maintaining social connections, and enhancing quality of life. However, many older adults face barriers to digital engagement particularly those with frailty and from historically marginalized communities, exacerbating healthcare and social disparities. Traditionally, the Patient Priorities Care framework is used in primary care to systematically elicit patient’s values, goals, and healthcare preferences and guide healthcare decision-making and medical treatment options. However, the framework can be applied not only to other healthcare settings, but to broader research and wellness-related fields in order to center the patient’s voice in all aspects of research design and implementation science. To that end, we conducted a randomized control pilot trial enrolling diverse older adults with varying frailty status and digital literacy (N = 20). Over 4 to 6 in-home sessions, interventionists collaborated with participants to identify priorities and co-develop personalized digital strategies and tools based on their goals. Changes in digital literacy and self-efficacy will be reported. Key motivators for technology use included enhancing quality of life, improving health, and connecting with family and friends. Unexpected benefits included engagement with new online communities based on personal interests (e.g., playing chess with global peers). We will also discuss research design-related insights gained from applying the PPC framework in non-traditional ways. Co-designing solutions with participants offers a scalable model to reduce the digital divide and promote equity in aging. Future plans include testing this intervention in a larger trial.

FAQs

Why is digital literacy important for older adults in this study?

Digital literacy supports access to health information, social connection, and quality of life. It can help reduce health and social disparities that widen when digital engagement is difficult.

How did the study adapt Patient Priorities Care (PPC)?

Researchers used the PPC approach to systematically elicit participant values and priorities. Over 4–6 in-home sessions, interventionists collaborated with participants to co-develop personalized digital strategies and tools based on their goals.

What outcomes and benefits are the researchers looking to measure?

The study reports changes in digital literacy and self-efficacy. It also describes key motivators for technology use (quality of life, health, connecting with family and friends) and unexpected benefits such as engagement with online communities.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Hazel