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. 2025 May 30;27:e62696. doi: 10.2196/62696

Table 1.

Bivariate associations with ease of understanding online medical records or patient portals.


How easy or difficult was it to understand the health information in your online medical record or patient portal?

Very easy (n=1403)a, weighted % of row (SE) Not very easyb (n=1613)c, weighted % of row (SE) Odds ratio for very easy (95% CI) P value
Age group (years) .04

18-34 44.6 (3.3) 55.4 (3.3) Reference d

35-49 52.0 (2.9) 48.0 (2.9) 1.3 (1.0-1.8) .07

50-64 45.5 (2.8) 54.5 (2.8) 1.0 (0.7-1.5) .84

65-74 45.3 (3.0) 54.7 (3.0) 1.0 (0.7-1.5) .89

≥75 39.3 (3.6) 60.7 (3.6) 0.8 (0.5-1.2) .30
Birth sex

Female 49.6 (2.2) 50.4 (2.2) 1.3 (1.0-1.8) .08

Male 42.8 (2.7) 57.2 (2.7) Reference
Race/ethnicity .19

Non-Hispanic White 46.3 (1.9) 53.7 (1.9) Reference

Non-Hispanic Black or African American 54.3 (3.8) 45.7 (3.8) 1.4 (1.0-1.9) .06

Hispanic 48.6 (4.6) 51.4 (4.6) 1.1 (0.8-1.6) .62

Non-Hispanic Asian 41.7 (9.3) 58.3 (9.3) 0.8 (0.4-1.8) .63

Non-Hispanic Other 37.8 (7.6) 62.2 (7.6) 0.7 (0.4-1.4) .31
Education

College graduate 48.2 (1.9) 51.8 (1.9) 1.1 (0.9-1.4) .32

Not college graduate 45.5 (2.2) 54.5 (2.2) Reference
Ease of understanding medical statistics <.001

Very easy 78.1 (2.6) 21.9 (2.6) 10.2 (6.8-15.2) <.001

Easy 44.2 (1.8) 55.8 (1.8) 2.3 (1.5-3.3) <.001

Hard 25.9 (3.4) 74.1 (3.4) Reference
General health .02

Excellent or very good 50.6 (2.2) 49.4 (2.2) 1.3 (1.0-1.8) .09

Good 42.3 (2.0) 57.7 (2.0) 0.9 (0.7-1.3) .72

Fair or poor 43.7 (3.5) 56.3 (3.5) Reference
Confidence in own ability to take care of health .001

Completely or very 50.5 (1.8) 49.5 (1.8) 1.8 (0.6-5.9) .33

Somewhat or little 36.6 (3.1) 63.4 (3.1) 1.0 (0.3-3.5) .98

Not at all 36.2 (13.4) 63.8 (13.4) Reference
Deaf

Yes 36.8 (4.7) 63.2 (4.7) 0.6 (0.4-1.0) .04

No 47.3 (1.6) 52.7 (1.6) Reference
Diabetes

Yes 44.6 (3.3) 55.4 (3.3) 0.9 (0.6-1.3) .56

No 47.1 (1.9) 52.9 (1.9) Reference
High blood pressure

Yes 46.3 (2.4) 53.7 (2.4) 1.0 (0.8-1.3) .86

No 46.9 (2.0) 53.1 (2.0) Reference
Heart condition

Yes 40.7 (4.5) 59.3 (4.5) 0.8 (0.5-1.1) .17

No 47.1 (1.6) 52.9 (1.6) Reference
Lung disease

Yes 43.2 (4.5) 56.8 (4.5) 0.9 (0.6-1.2) .40

No 47.2 (1.6) 52.8 (1.6) Reference
Depression

Yes 49.1 (2.9) 50.9 (2.9) 1.2 (0.9-1.5) .29

No 45.6 (1.8) 54.4 (1.8) Reference
Ever had cancer

Yes 43.7 (3.2) 56.3 (3.2) 0.9 (0.7-1.1) .30

No 47.0 (1.6) 53.0 (1.6) Reference
Patient-provider communication score, median (IQR) 25.6 (21.6-27.5) 22.3 (18.8-26.2) 1.14 (1.10-1.18)e <.001
How online records accessed .02

App 53.8 (4.1) 46.2 (4.1) 1.6 (1.1-2.4) .02

Website 41.8 (2.3) 58.2 (2.3) Reference

Both app and website 49.9 (2.6) 50.1 (2.6) 1.4 (1.1-1.8) .02
Records online: view results

Yes 47.8 (1.6) 52.2 (1.6) 1.8 (1.1-2.7) .01

No 34.1 (4.8) 65.9 (4.8) Reference
Records online: download health information

Yes 47.9 (2.6) 52.1 (2.6) 1.1 (0.8-1.4) .59

No 46.1 (2.0) 53.9 (2.0) Reference
Records online: send to third party

Yes 52.4 (3.2) 47.6 (3.2) 1.3 (1.0-1.8) .05

No 45.2 (1.8) 54.8 (1.8) Reference
Records online: view notes

Yes 50.0 (1.9) 50.0 (1.9) 1.6 (1.2-2.2) .004

No 38.5 (3.0) 61.5 (3.0) Reference

aWeighted percent of all respondents: 46.7%.

bNot very easy is a combination of somewhat easy, somewhat difficult, and very difficult.

cWeighted percent of all respondents: 53.3%.

dNot applicable.

eIncrease in odds per 1 unit increase in score.