Authors: Lina Tieu, PhD, Courtney R Lyles, PhD, Hyunjin Cindy Kim, MPH, Isabel Luna, BA, Jeanette Wong, BS, Naomi Lopez-Solano, BS, Junhong Li, BS, Andersen Yang, MPH, Jorge A Rodriguez, MD, Oanh Kieu Nguyen, MD, MAS, Alejandra Casillas, MD, MSHS, Emilia H De Marchis, MD, MAS, Anita L Stewart, PhD, Torsten B Neilands, PhD, Elaine C Khoong, MD, MS
This study evaluated a brief scale to assess digital skills among adults aged 50 and older across English, Spanish, and Cantonese speakers. Surveys (n=186) and observational tasks (n=101) tested competencies essential for digital health use, including launching video visits, accessing health websites, and using patient portals. A 9-item scale, the SMART Digital Health scale, demonstrated high reliability (α=0.93) and accurately predicted digital health competency (AUC 0.77–0.88). Findings suggest the scale may help identify patients needing support to use digital health tools, enabling targeted interventions to improve engagement in digital care.