How Patient Use of Electronic Health Records Affects Perceived Quality of Care in Older Adults: Exploring Gender and Age Disparities

The widespread adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) in the United States offers a transformative opportunity to enhance patient-provider interactions, yet the impact on the quality of care for older adults remains unclear. This study delves into how EHR use influences quality of care and whether Patient-Centered Communication (PCC) mediates this relationship, considering age and gender differences among adults 65 and older. Using data from the 2018–2020 HINTS survey, path analysis showed a significant indirect effect through PCC in the full sample (a*b = 0.12, p < .05). In addition, there were significant effects of PCC on quality of care in the full sample and all age and gender strata (p < .05). Remarkably, PCC mediates this relationship more strongly among individuals over 70 (a*b = 0.14, p < .05). These results highlight the demographic differences in how EHRs and PCC contribute to healthcare experiences in older adults, underscoring the need for tailored EHR design and communication strategies.