The Relationship Between Technology Use and Medication Access in Older Adults in Puerto Rico

Badillo-Salcedo, Joseph; Vélez-Jiménez, Gabriela M.; Rosado-Martínez, Ethan G.; Melin, Kyle; Hernández-Agosto, Jonathan

doi:10.3390/ijerph22101534

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Open AccessArticle

The Relationship Between Technology Use and Medication Access in Older Adults in Puerto Rico

by

Joseph Badillo-Salcedo

¹,

Gabriela M. Vélez-Jiménez

¹,

Ethan G. Rosado-Martínez

¹,

Kyle Melin

^1,2

and

Jonathan Hernández-Agosto

^1,*

¹

School of Pharmacy, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00936, USA

²

National Alliance for Hispanic Health, District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20036, USA

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(10), 1534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22101534

Submission received: 30 June 2025 / Revised: 29 September 2025 / Accepted: 30 September 2025 / Published: 7 October 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Improve Latino Health Outcomes)

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Abstract

The recent shift from in-person to digital pharmacy services is transforming how patients interact with their pharmacists but has the potential to disadvantage older adults (aged ≥ 65) who often face barriers when using technology. This study aimed to assess digital inequalities affecting medication access among older adults. A Spanish-language questionnaire was developed and psychometrically validated, revealing a two-factor latent structure comprising: (1) Technology Use, and (2) Medication Access. Item discrimination analysis confirmed that all significantly differentiated between those that used technology to facilitate their medication access and those that did not (p < 0.001). Participants with higher education reported greater income levels (p < 0.001), and income was in turn related to both internet access and digital skills. Age played a key role in perceptions of technology. Participants who considered technology helpful were younger (

\bar{x}

= 72.9) than those who did not (

\bar{x}

= 76.6; p = 0.001). There was no significant relationship between perceived technological usefulness and reporting not being able to acquire medications because of technological barriers (p = 0.788). This newly created and validated questionnaire identified gaps related to digital pharmacy services and may be a useful tool in future clinical, community, and investigative contexts.

Keywords: digitalization; health services accessibility; Hispanic or Latino; social determinants of health; digital literacy; pharmaceutical services; digital inequality; Geriatrics

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MDPI and ACS Style

Badillo-Salcedo, J.; Vélez-Jiménez, G.M.; Rosado-Martínez, E.G.; Melin, K.; Hernández-Agosto, J. The Relationship Between Technology Use and Medication Access in Older Adults in Puerto Rico. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 1534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22101534

AMA Style

Badillo-Salcedo J, Vélez-Jiménez GM, Rosado-Martínez EG, Melin K, Hernández-Agosto J. The Relationship Between Technology Use and Medication Access in Older Adults in Puerto Rico. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(10):1534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22101534

Chicago/Turabian Style

Badillo-Salcedo, Joseph, Gabriela M. Vélez-Jiménez, Ethan G. Rosado-Martínez, Kyle Melin, and Jonathan Hernández-Agosto. 2025. "The Relationship Between Technology Use and Medication Access in Older Adults in Puerto Rico" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 22, no. 10: 1534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22101534

APA Style

Badillo-Salcedo, J., Vélez-Jiménez, G. M., Rosado-Martínez, E. G., Melin, K., & Hernández-Agosto, J. (2025). The Relationship Between Technology Use and Medication Access in Older Adults in Puerto Rico. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(10), 1534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22101534

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The Relationship Between Technology Use and Medication Access in Older Adults in Puerto Rico

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