ArticleJB & JS open access
The Association Between Sociodemographic Factors and Patient Portal Utilization Across Orthopaedic Subspecialties.
Article in JB & JS open access. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Patient portal (PP) usage enhances patient engagement, quality of care, and clinical outcomes. However, effective utilization requires digital literacy and internet access, resulting in disparities, particularly among older, non-White, uninsured, or publicly insured patients. While prior studies have examined PP use in specific orthopaedic subspecialties, comprehensive analyses are limited. The aim of this study was to identify social determinants of health of interest (SDOH) associated with PP utilization across orthopaedic subspecialties and to assess its association with outcomes. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of adult patients who underwent orthopaedic procedures was conducted between January 2021 and December 2022. The study included 33,143 encounters involving 28,028 patients. PP utilization was defined as activating and using the PP at least once. SDOH assessed included age, sex, race, ethnicity, language, domestic partnership status, employment status, insurance, and urbanicity. Clinical outcomes included hospital length of stay, 30-day return to the emergency department (ED), 30-day readmission, and discharge disposition. Univariable and multivariable models evaluated associations between SDOH and PP use, while mixed-effects models assessed the association between PP utilization and outcomes. Results: PP utilization varied across subspecialties, with the highest rates in sports medicine (93.9%) and hip preservation (92.6%) and the lowest in trauma (71.7%). Lower odds of PP use were observed among patients older than 65 years, male, non-White, non-English speaking, single, unemployed, uninsured or publicly insured, and those living in rural areas. A decrease of 1 SDOH was associated with a 2.21-fold increase in PP use (odds ratio [OR]): 2.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.14-2.29; p < 0.001). Nonusers had higher odds of 30-day ED return (OR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.51-1.99), 30-day readmission (OR: 2.49; 95% CI: 2.12-2.93), nonhome discharge (OR: 4.63, 95% CI: 3.76-5.70), and experienced longer hospital stays (Rate Ratio: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.52-1.70). Conclusions: PP utilization in orthopaedic surgery is associated with social determinants of health and varies by subspecialty. PP nonusage is associated with worse clinical outcomes, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve PP adoption among at-risk populations and reduce disparities in orthopaedic care. Level of Evidence: Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.