Patient Portals: Useful for Whom and for What? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of National Survey Data

Exploring potential drivers of patient engagement with their health data through digital platforms: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Patient engagement when providing patient access to health data results from an interaction between the available tools and individual capabilities. The recent digital advancements of the healthcare field have altered the manifestation and importance of patient engagement. However, a comprehensive assessment of what factors contribute to patient engagement remain absent. In this review article, we synthesised the most frequently discussed factors that can foster patient engagement with their health data.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar. Relevant data were synthesized within 7 layers using a thematic analysis: (1) social and demographic factors, (2) patient ability factors, (3) patient motivation factors, (4) factors related to healthcare professionals' attitudes and skills, (5) health system factors, (6) technological factors, and (7) policy factors.

RESULTS

We identified 5801 academic and 200 Gy literature records, and included 292 (4.83%) in this review. Overall, 44 factors that can affect patient engagement with their health data were extracted. We extracted 6 social and demographic factors, 6 patient ability factors, 12 patient motivation factors, 7 factors related to healthcare professionals' attitudes and skills, 4 health system factors, 6 technological factors, and 3 policy factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving patient engagement with their health data enables the development of patient-centered healthcare, though it can also exacerbate existing inequities. While expanding patient access to health data is an important step towards fostering shared decision-making in healthcare and subsequently empowering patients, it is important to ensure that these developments reach all sectors of the community.

Differences by Race in Outcomes of an In-Person Training Intervention on Use of an Inpatient Portal: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Differences in patient use of health information technologies by race can adversely impact equitable access to health care services. While this digital divide is well documented, there is limited evidence of how health care systems have used interventions to narrow the gap.

Objective

To compare differences in the effectiveness of patient training and portal functionality interventions implemented to increase portal use among racial groups.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This secondary analysis used data from a randomized clinical trial conducted from December 15, 2016, to August 31, 2019. Data were from a single health care system and included 6 noncancer hospitals. Participants were patients who were at least 18 years of age, identified English as their preferred language, were not involuntarily confined or detained, and agreed to be provided a tablet to access the inpatient portal during their stay. Data were analyzed from September 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023.

Interventions

A 2 × 2 factorial design was used to compare the inpatient portal training intervention (touch, in-person [high] vs built-in video tutorial [low]) and the portal functionality intervention (technology, full functionality [full] vs a limited subset of functions [lite]).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Primary outcomes were inpatient portal use, measured by frequency and comprehensiveness of use, and use of specific portal functions. A logistic regression model was used to test the association of the estimators with the comprehensiveness use measure. Outcomes are reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for the frequency outcomes or odds ratios (ORs) for the comprehensiveness outcomes with corresponding 95% CIs.

Results

Of 2892 participants, 550 (19.0%) were Black individuals, 2221 (76.8%) were White individuals, and 121 (4.2%) were categorized as other race (including African, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Asian American, multiple races or ethnicities, and unknown race or ethnicity). Black participants had a significantly lower frequency (IRR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.72-0.89]) of inpatient portal use compared with White participants. Interaction effects were not observed between technology, touch, and race. Among participants who received the full technology intervention, Black participants had lower odds of being comprehensive users (OR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.62-0.91), but interaction effects were not observed between touch and race.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, providing in-person training or robust portal functionality did not narrow the divide between Black participants and White participants with respect to their inpatient portal use. Health systems looking to narrow the digital divide may need to consider intentional interventions that address underlying issues contributing to this inequity.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02943109.

The State-of-the-Art of Patient Portals: Adapting to External Factors, Addressing Barriers, and Innovating

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Recent external factors-the 21st Century Cures Act and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-have stimulated major changes in the patient portal landscape. The objective of this state-of-the-art review is to describe recent developments in the patient portal literature and to identify recommendations and future directions for the design, implementation, and evaluation of portals.

METHODS

To focus this review on salient contemporary issues, we elected to center it on four topics: (1) 21st Century Cures Act's impact on patient portals (e.g., Open Notes); (2) COVID-19's pandemic impact on portals; (3) proxy access to portals; and (4) disparities in portal adoption and use. We conducted targeted PubMed searches to identify recent empirical studies addressing these topics, used a two-part screening process to determine relevance, and conducted thematic analyses.

RESULTS

Our search identified 174 unique papers, 74 were relevant empirical studies and included in this review. Among these papers, we identified 10 themes within our four a priori topics, including preparing for and understanding the consequences of increased patient access to their electronic health information (Cures Act); developing, deploying, and evaluating new virtual care processes (COVID-19); understanding current barriers to formal proxy use (proxy access); and addressing disparities in portal adoption and use (disparities).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that the recent trends toward understanding the implications of immediate access to most test results, exploring ways to close gaps in portal adoption and use among different sub-populations, and finding ways to leverage portals to improve health and health care are the next steps in the maturation of patient portals and are key areas that require more research. It is important that health care organizations share their innovative portal efforts, so that successful measures can be tested in other contexts, and progress can continue.

Implementing an Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome and Decision Support Tool in Early Intervention

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to identify and prioritize early intervention (EI) stakeholders' perspectives of supports and barriers to implementing the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM), an electronic patient-reported outcome (e-PRO) tool, for scaling its implementation across multiple local and state EI programs.

METHODS

An explanatory sequential (quan > QUAL) mixed-methods study was conducted with EI families (n = 6), service coordinators (n = 9), and program leadership (n = 7). Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to share select quantitative pragmatic trial results (e.g., percentages for perceived helpfulness of implementation strategies) and elicit stakeholder perspectives to contextualize these results. Three study staff deductively coded transcripts to constructs in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Data within CFIR constructs were inductively analyzed to generate themes that were rated by national early childhood advisors for their relevance to longer term implementation.

RESULTS

All three stakeholder groups (i.e., families, service coordinators, program leadership) identified thematic supports and barriers across multiple constructs within each of four CFIR domains: (1) Six themes for "intervention characteristics," (2) Six themes for "process," (3) three themes for "inner setting," and (4) four themes for "outer setting." For example, all stakeholder groups described the value of the YC-PEM e-PRO in forging connections and eliciting meaningful information about family priorities for efficient service plan development ("intervention characteristics"). Stakeholders prioritized reaching families with diverse linguistic preferences and user navigation needs, further tailoring its interface with automated data capture and exchange processes ("process"); and fostering a positive implementation climate ("inner setting"). Service coordinators and program leadership further articulated the value of YC-PEM e-PRO results for improving EI access ("outer setting").

CONCLUSION

Results demonstrate the YC-PEM e-PRO is an evidence-based intervention that is viable for implementation. Optimizations to its interface are needed before undertaking hybrid type-2 and 3 multisite trials to test these implementation strategies across state and local EI programs with electronic data capture capabilities and diverse levels of organizational readiness and resources for implementation.

The Use of a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to Predict Patients' Usage of a Personal Health Record System: The Role of Security, Privacy, and Usability

Personal health records (PHR) systems are designed to ensure that individuals have access and control over their health information and to support them in being active participants rather than passive ones in their healthcare process. Yet, PHR systems have not yet been widely adopted or used by consumers despite their benefits. For these advantages to be realized, adoption of the system is necessary. In this study, we examined how self-determination of health management influences individuals' intention to implement a PHR system, i.e., their ability to actively manage their health. Using an extended technology acceptance model (TAM), the researchers developed and empirically tested a model explaining public adoption of PHRs. In total, 389 Saudi Arabian respondents were surveyed in a quantitative cross-sectional design. The hypotheses were analysed using structural equation modelling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS4). Results indicate that PHR system usage was influenced by three major factors: perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), and security towards intention to use. PHR PEOU and PHR intention to use were also found to be moderated by privacy, whereas usability positively moderated PHR PEOU and PHR intention to use and negatively moderated PHR PU and PHR intention to use. For the first time, this study examined the use of personal health records in Saudi Arabia, including the extension of the TAM model as well as development of a context-driven model that examines the relationship between privacy, security, usability, and the use of PHRs. Furthermore, this study fills a gap in the literature regarding the moderating effects of privacy influence on PEOU and intention to use. Further, the moderating effects of usability on the relationship between PEOU, PU, and intention to use. Study findings are expected to assist government agencies, health policymakers, and health organizations around the world, including Saudi Arabia, in understanding the adoption of personal health records.

Providing Online Portal Access to Families of Adolescents and Young Adults with Diminished Capacity at an Academic Children's Hospital: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

For caregivers of adolescents and young adults with severe cognitive deficits, or "diminished capacity," access to the medical record can be critical. However, this can be a challenge when utilizing the electronic health record (EHR) as information is often restricted in order to protect adolescent confidentiality. Having enhanced access for these proxies would be expected to improve engagement with the health system for the families of these medically complex adolescents and young adults.

OBJECTIVES

To describe a process for granting full EHR access to proxies of adolescents with diminished capacity and young adults who are legally conserved while respecting regulations supporting adolescent confidentiality.

METHODS

The first step in this initiative was to define the "diminished capacity" access class for both adolescents and young adults. Once defined, workflows utilizing best practice alerts were developed to support clinicians in providing the appropriate documentation. In addition, processes were developed to minimize the possibility of erroneously activating the diminished capacity access class for any given patient. To enhance activation, a support tool was developed to identify patients who might meet the criteria for diminished capacity proxy access. Finally, outreach and educations were developed for providers and clinics to make them aware of this initiative.

RESULTS

Since activating this workflow, proxies of 138 adolescents and young adults have been granted the diminished capacity proxy access class. Approximately 54% are between 12 and 17 years with 46% 18 years and older. Proxies for both age groups have engaged with portal functionality at higher rates when compared to institutional rates of use by proxies of the general pediatric population.

CONCLUSION

With this quality improvement initiative, we were able to enhance EHR access and engagement of families of some of the most complex adolescent and young adult patients without inadvertently compromising adolescent confidentiality.

Characteristics of Adult Primary Care Patients Who Use the Patient Portal: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

BACKGROUND

The patient portal allows patients to engage with their health care team beyond the clinical encounter. While portals can improve patient outcomes, there may be disparities in which patients access the portal by sociodemographic factors. Understanding the characteristics of patients who use the portal could help design future interventions to expand portal adoption.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to (1) examine the socioeconomic factors, comorbid conditions, and health care utilization among patients of a large academic primary care network who are users and non-users of the patient portal; and (2) describe the portal functions most frequently utilized.

METHODS

We included all adult patients at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist who had at least two primary care visits between 2018 and 2019. Patients' demographics, comorbidities, health care utilization, and portal function usage were extracted from the electronic health record and merged with census data (income, education, and unemployment) from the American Community Survey. A myWakeHealth portal user was defined as a patient who used a bidirectional portal function at least once during the study period. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine which patient characteristics were independently associated with being a portal user.

RESULTS

Of the 178,720 patients who met inclusion criteria, 32% (N = 57,122) were users of myWakeHealth. Compared to non-users, users were more likely to be 18 to 64 years of age, female, non-Hispanic White, married, commercially insured, have higher disease burden, and have lower health care utilization. Patients residing in areas with the highest educational attainment had 51% higher odds of being a portal user than the lowest (p <0.001). Among portal users, the most commonly used function was messaging clinic providers.

CONCLUSION

We found that patient demographics and area socioeconomic factors were associated with patient portal adoption. These findings suggest that efforts to improve portal adoption should be targeted at vulnerable patients.

Leveraging Electronic Health Records to Address Breast Cancer Disparities

Purpose of Review

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, and the leading cause of cancer death. However, racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as rural and underserved populations, face disparities that limit their access to specialty care for breast cancer. To address these disparities, health care providers can leverage an electronic health record (EHR).

Recent Findings

Few studies have evaluated the potential benefits of using EHRs to address breast cancer disparities, and none of them outlines a standard approach for this effort. However, these studies outline that EHRs can be used to identify and notify patients at risk for breast cancer. These systems can also automate referrals and scheduling for screening and genetic testing, as well as recruit eligible patients for clinical trials. EHRs can also provide educational materials to reduce risks associated with modifiable risk factors, such as physical activity, obesity, and smoking. These systems can also support telemedicine visits and centralize inter-institutional communication to improve treatment adherence and the quality of care.

Summary

EHRs have tremendous potential to increase accessibility and communication for patients with breast cancer by augmenting patient engagement, improving communication between patients and providers, and strengthening communication among providers. These efforts can reduce breast cancer disparities by increasing breast cancer screening, improving treatment adherence, expanding access to specialty care, and promoting risk-reducing habits among racial and ethnic minority groups and other underserved populations.