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Blackler L, Scharf AE, Matsoukas K, Colletti M, Voigt LP. 'If you build it, they will come…to the wrong door: evaluating patient and caregiver-initiated ethics consultations via a patient portal'. BMJ Health Care Inform 2024; 31:e100988. [PMID: 38677775 DOI: 10.1136/bmjhci-2023-100988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) sought to empower patients and caregivers to be more proactive in requesting ethics consultations. METHODS Functionality was developed on MSK's electronic patient portal that allowed patients and/or caregivers to request ethics consultations. The Ethics Consultation Service (ECS) responded to all requests, which were documented and analysed. RESULTS Of the 74 requests made through the portal, only one fell under the purview of the ECS. The others were primarily requests for assistance with coordinating clinical care, hospital resources or frustrations with the hospital or clinical team. DISCUSSION To better empower patients and caregivers to engage Ethics, healthcare organisations and ECSs must first provide them with accessible, understandable and iterative educational resources. CONCLUSION After 19.5 months, the 'Request Ethics Consultation' functionality on the patient portal was suspended. Developing resources on the role of Ethics for our patients and caregivers remains a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liz Blackler
- Ethics Committee, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amy E Scharf
- Ethics Committee, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Konstantina Matsoukas
- Ethics Committee, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Technology Division, Library Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michelle Colletti
- Ethics Committee, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Louis P Voigt
- Ethics Committee, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain, and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
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Ball SL, Kim B, Cutrona SL, Molloy-Paolillo BK, Ahlness E, Moldestad M, Sayre G, Rinne ST. Clinician and staff experiences with frustrated patients during an electronic health record transition: a qualitative case study. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:535. [PMID: 38671473 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10974-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electronic health record (EHR) transitions are known to be highly disruptive, can drastically impact clinician and staff experiences, and may influence patients' experiences using the electronic patient portal. Clinicians and staff can gain insights into patient experiences and be influenced by what they see and hear from patients. Through the lens of an emergency preparedness framework, we examined clinician and staff reactions to and perceptions of their patients' experiences with the portal during an EHR transition at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). METHODS This qualitative case study was situated within a larger multi-methods evaluation of the EHR transition. We conducted a total of 122 interviews with 30 clinicians and staff across disciplines at the initial VA EHR transition site before, immediately after, and up to 12 months after go-live (September 2020-November 2021). Interview transcripts were coded using a priori and emergent codes. The coded text segments relevant to patient experience and clinician interactions with patients were extracted and analyzed to identify themes. For each theme, recommendations were defined based on each stage of an emergency preparedness framework (mitigate, prepare, respond, recover). RESULTS In post-go-live interviews participants expressed concerns about the reliability of communicating with their patients via secure messaging within the new EHR portal. Participants felt ill-equipped to field patients' questions and frustrations navigating the new portal. Participants learned that patients experienced difficulties learning to use and accessing the portal; when unsuccessful, some had difficulties obtaining medication refills via the portal and used the call center as an alternative. However, long telephone wait times provoked patients to walk into the clinic for care, often frustrated and without an appointment. Patients needing increased in-person attention heightened participants' daily workload and their concern for patients' well-being. Recommendations for each theme fit within a stage of the emergency preparedness framework. CONCLUSIONS Application of an emergency preparedness framework to EHR transitions could help address the concerns raised by the participants, (1) mitigating disruptions by identifying at-risk patients before the transition, (2) preparing end-users by disseminating patient-centered informational resources, (3) responding by building capacity for disrupted services, and (4) recovering by monitoring integrity of the new portal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherry L Ball
- VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, 10701 East Blvd., Research Service 151, 44106, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Bo Kim
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah L Cutrona
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Division of Health Informatics & Implementation Science, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Brianne K Molloy-Paolillo
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Ellen Ahlness
- Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VHA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Megan Moldestad
- Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VHA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - George Sayre
- Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VHA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
- University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Seppo T Rinne
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hannover, NH, USA
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The patient portal for dental implant treatments. Br Dent J 2024; 236:568. [PMID: 38609637 DOI: 10.1038/s41415-024-7332-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
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Walker DM, Hefner JL, MacEwan SR, Di Tosto G, Sova LN, Gaughan AA, Huerta TR, McAlearney AS. 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. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e245091. [PMID: 38573634 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Walker
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- CATALYST, The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Jennifer L Hefner
- CATALYST, The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- Division of Health Services Management and Policy, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Sarah R MacEwan
- CATALYST, The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- Division of General Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Gennaro Di Tosto
- CATALYST, The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Lindsey N Sova
- CATALYST, The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Alice A Gaughan
- CATALYST, The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Timothy R Huerta
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- CATALYST, The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Ann Scheck McAlearney
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- CATALYST, The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus
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Peppercorn J. Now That We Don't Talk: Should Cancer Centers Bill for Patient Portal Messages in Oncology? JCO Oncol Pract 2024; 20:449-451. [PMID: 38513171 DOI: 10.1200/op.24.00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
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Oh KM, Inoue M, Koizumi N, Beran K, Lee JAA. Chronic Health Conditions and Patient Portal Use in Caregivers of People With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. J Appl Gerontol 2024; 43:363-373. [PMID: 37982671 DOI: 10.1177/07334648231210677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate both chronic health conditions and the utilization of patient portals, focusing particularly on caregivers responsible for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 2018-2020 were analyzed, involving a sample of 304 family and unpaid caregivers of individuals with ADRD. Among caregivers of individuals with ADRD, 77.6% had at least one chronic disease. A significant proportion (46.6%) of ADRD caregivers had never accessed their patient portals. The limited utilization of patient portals among caregivers responsible for individuals with ADRD, particularly those with lower education, advanced age, and few chronic conditions, becomes apparent due to challenges associated with digital literacy and discomfort with computers. Recognizing the crucial role caregivers play for individuals with ADRD and their health risks, there's a need for tailored training to enhance their health management skills and caregiving capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jung-Ah Anna Lee
- Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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Burgdorf JG, Fabius CD, Wu MMJ, Gleason KT, Wolff JL. Patient Portal Use during Home Health Care at an Academic Health System. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2024; 25:729-733.e4. [PMID: 38006904 PMCID: PMC10990788 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To characterize patient portal use among older adults receiving skilled home health (HH) care. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Older adults (aged ≥65 years) who received HH care from a large, academic health system between 2017 to 2022 (n = 8409 HH episodes provided to n = 4878 unique individuals). METHODS We captured individual and HH episode characteristics from the electronic health record and identified specific types and dates of portal use for those with an active patient portal. We calculated the proportion of episodes in which patients engaged in specific patient portal activities (eg, viewing test results, managing appointments, sending messages). We used multivariable logistic regression to model the odds of engaging in each activity as a function of patient and episode characteristics, and charted the timing of patient portal activities across the 60-day HH episode. RESULTS The patient portal was used by older adults in more than half (58%) of the episodes examined. Among those using their portal account during an HH episode, 84% viewed test results, 77% managed an existing appointment, 72% managed medications, and 55% sent a message to a provider. Adjusted odds of portal use were higher among HH patients who were married (aOR: 1.77, P < .001), receiving HH post-COVID pandemic (aOR: 2.73, P < .001), and accessing HH following a hospitalization (aOR: 1.30, P < .001) and lower among those who were Black compared with white (aOR: 0.52, P < .001). Portal use, particularly viewing test results and clinical notes and managing existing appointments, was highest during the first 10 days of an HH episode, especially among patients referred following a hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS HH patients use the patient portal to perform care management tasks and access clinical information. Study findings support opportunities to harness the patient portal to bridge information gaps and care coordination during HH care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia G Burgdorf
- Center for Home Care Policy & Research, VNS Health, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Chanee D Fabius
- Department of Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mingche M J Wu
- Department of Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kelly T Gleason
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer L Wolff
- Department of Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Bogulski CA, Andersen JA, Eswaran S, Willis DE, Edem D, McElfish PA. Factors Associated with Online Patient Portal Utilization Experience in an Arkansas Phone Survey. Telemed J E Health 2024; 30:e1148-e1156. [PMID: 38011711 PMCID: PMC11035923 DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2023.0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Accessing electronic health record information through a patient portal is associated with numerous benefits to both health care providers and patients. However, patient portal utilization remains low. Little is known about the factors associated with patient portal utilization following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In March 2022, we conducted a random digit dial phone survey of both cell phones and landlines of adults living in Arkansas that asked numerous demographic and health-related measures, including patient portal utilization in the past 12 months. A total of 2,201 adult Arkansans completed the survey between March 1 and March 28, 2022. Weighted estimates were generated using rank ratio estimation to approximate the 2019 American Community Survey 1-year Arkansas estimates for race/ethnicity (72% White, 15% Black/African American, 7.8% Hispanic, 4.9% other race/ethnicity), age (73% 18-39, 32% 40-59, and 31% 60+), and gender (49% male, 51% female). We fit the data to a logistic regression model. Results: We found that education, employment, prior telehealth experience, having a check-up in the past 2 years, and having a primary care provider were all positively associated with patient portal utilization. We also found that non-Hispanic Black/African-American respondents were less likely to access a patient portal relative to non-Hispanic White respondents. Discussion: Patient portal utilization is related to several demographic and health-related factors among an adult population in Arkansas. Given that the documented benefits of patient portal utilization are broad, under-utilization by groups that already experience relatively worse health outcomes could reproduce or even exacerbate existing health disparities. Additional research is needed to further investigate what barriers to patient portal utilization remain for these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cari A. Bogulski
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Andersen
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA
| | - Surabhee Eswaran
- Department of Environmental Studies, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Don E. Willis
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA
| | - Dinesh Edem
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Pearl A. McElfish
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA
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温 方, 杜 光, 田 丰, 赵 小. [Application and Effect of Patient Portal System in the Remote Management of Chronic Diseases for Older Adults With Coronary Heart Disease]. Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2024; 55:418-424. [PMID: 38645871 PMCID: PMC11026880 DOI: 10.12182/20240360503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Objective To investigate the application of personal health record (PHR) and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of patient portal system (PPS) in managing older adults with coronary heart disease and to examine the effect on patients' self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life. Methods A total of 532 elderly patients with coronary heart disease were included in the study. All the participants enrolled were admitted to a tertiary-care hospital between January 2019 and June 2021. They were randomly assigned to the study group (269 cases) and the control group (263 cases). Patients in the control group were discharged with the routine discharge procedures and received the routine follow-up care. On the other hand, patients in the study group were discharged and followed up through the PHR and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of PPS. After 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of patient management, the Exercise of Self-Care Agency (ESCA) Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ) and Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) were used to evaluate the patients' self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life, respectively. The patient management effects of the two groups were analyzed. Results Before the management programs started, there was no statistically significant difference in the scores for the scales between the two groups of patients. After 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of patient management, the ESCA scores of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05). Facing scores in the MCMQ of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05), while the scores for avoidance and yielding were lower than those before patient management started (P<0.05). The SAQ scores of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05). After 6 months, 12 months and 18 months of patient management, the ESCA scores of the study group were always higher compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The facing score of the study group was higher, while the scores for avoidance and yielding were lower compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The SAQ scores of the study group were higher compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The medication compliance rate in the study group (83.27%) was higher than that in the control group (69.96%) (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in the study group (4.09%) was lower than that in the control group (10.27%) (P<0.05). The average times of emergency treatment and readmission in the study group were lower compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The patient satisfaction score of the study group was higher compared with that of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion The PHR and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of PPS can increase the convenient access to medical care among elderly patients with coronary heart disease, which is conducive to improving their self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life. In addition, the patient management effect is good.
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Affiliation(s)
- 方圆 温
- 四川省医学科学院·四川省人民医院 门诊部 (成都 610072)Outpatient Department, Sichuan Academic of Medical Science & Sichuan Province People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - 光会 杜
- 四川省医学科学院·四川省人民医院 门诊部 (成都 610072)Outpatient Department, Sichuan Academic of Medical Science & Sichuan Province People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - 丰 田
- 四川省医学科学院·四川省人民医院 门诊部 (成都 610072)Outpatient Department, Sichuan Academic of Medical Science & Sichuan Province People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - 小娟 赵
- 四川省医学科学院·四川省人民医院 门诊部 (成都 610072)Outpatient Department, Sichuan Academic of Medical Science & Sichuan Province People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
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Gordon NP, Zhang S, Lo JC, Li CF. The Digital Transition: Are Adults Aged 65 Years or Older Willing to Complete Online Forms and Questionnaires in Patient Portals? Perm J 2024; 28:68-75. [PMID: 38317596 PMCID: PMC10940229 DOI: 10.7812/tpp/23.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Patients are being encouraged to complete forms electronically using patient portals rather than on paper, but willingness of older adults to make this transition is uncertain. METHODS The authors analyzed data for 4105 Kaiser Permanente Northern California 2020 Member Health Survey respondents aged 65-85 years who answered a question about willingness to complete online forms and questionnaires using a patient portal. Data weighted to the Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership were used to estimate percentages of older adults willing to complete patient portal forms and questionnaires. Chi-square tests and log-Poisson regression models that included sociodemographic, internet use, and patient portal variables were used to identify factors predictive of willingness. RESULTS Overall, 59.6% of older adults were willing to complete patient portal forms, 17.6% were not willing, and 22.8% were not sure. Adults aged 75-85 (49.5%) vs 65-74 years (64.8%) and Black (51.9%) and Latino (46.5%) vs White (62.8%) adults were less likely to indicate willingness. In addition to racial and ethnic differences and younger age, higher educational attainment, use of the internet alone (vs internet use with help or not at all), having an internet-enabled computer or tablet, and having sent at least 1 message through the patient portal increased likelihood of being willing. CONCLUSIONS Health care teams should assess older adults' capabilities and comfort related to completion of patient portal-based forms and support those willing to make the digital transition. Paper forms and oral collection of information should remain available for those unable or unwilling to make this digital transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy P Gordon
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
- The Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Sherry Zhang
- Department of Adult and Family Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Joan C Lo
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
- The Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Christina F Li
- Department of Adult and Family Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, CA, USA
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Griffin JM, Kroner BL, Wong SL, Preiss L, Wilder Smith A, Cheville AL, Mitchell SA, Lancki N, Hassett MJ, Schrag D, Osarogiagbon RU, Ridgeway JL, Cella D, Jensen RE, Flores AM, Austin JD, Yanez B. Disparities in electronic health record portal access and use among patients with cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2024; 116:476-484. [PMID: 37930884 PMCID: PMC10919330 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djad225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electronic health record-linked portals may improve health-care quality for patients with cancer. Barriers to portal access and use undermine interventions that rely on portals to reduce cancer care disparities. This study examined portal access and persistence of portal use and associations with patient and structural factors before the implementation of 3 portal-based interventions within the Improving the Management of symPtoms during And following Cancer Treatment (IMPACT) Consortium. METHODS Portal use data were extracted from electronic health records for the 12 months preceding intervention implementation. Sociodemographic factors, mode of accessing portals (web vs mobile), and number of clinical encounters before intervention implementation were also extracted. Rurality was derived using rural-urban commuting area codes. Broadband access was estimated using the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. Multiple logistic regression models tested the associations of these factors with portal access (ever accessed or never accessed) and persistence of portal use (accessed the portal ≤20 weeks vs ≥21 weeks in the 35-week study period). RESULTS Of 28 942 eligible patients, 10 061 (35%) never accessed the portal. Male sex, membership in a racial and ethnic minority group, rural dwelling, not working, and limited broadband access were associated with lower odds of portal access. Younger age and more clinical encounters were associated with higher odds of portal access. Of those with portal access, 25% were persistent users. Using multiple modalities for portal access, being middle-aged, and having more clinical encounters were associated with persistent portal use. CONCLUSION Patient and structural factors affect portal access and use and may exacerbate disparities in electronic health record-based cancer symptom surveillance and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan M Griffin
- Division of Health Care Delivery Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Robert E. and Patricia D. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Barbara L Kroner
- Center for Clinical Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Sandra L Wong
- Department of Surgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Liliana Preiss
- Center for Clinical Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Ashley Wilder Smith
- Outcomes Research Branch, Healthcare Delivery Research Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrea L Cheville
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Sandra A Mitchell
- Outcomes Research Branch, Healthcare Delivery Research Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nicola Lancki
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael J Hassett
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah Schrag
- Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Jennifer L Ridgeway
- Division of Health Care Delivery Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Robert E. and Patricia D. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - David Cella
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Roxanne E Jensen
- Outcomes Research Branch, Healthcare Delivery Research Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ann Marie Flores
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jessica D Austin
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Betina Yanez
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Tang M, Mishuris RG, Payvandi L, Stern AD. Differences in Care Team Response to Patient Portal Messages by Patient Race and Ethnicity. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e242618. [PMID: 38497963 PMCID: PMC10949096 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.2618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with substantial growth in patient portal messaging. Higher message volumes have largely persisted, reflecting a new normal. Prior work has documented lower message use by patients who belong to minoritized racial and ethnic groups, but research has not examined differences in care team response to messages. Both have substantial ramifications on resource allocation and care access under a new care paradigm with portal messaging as a central channel for patient-care team communication. Objective To examine differences in how care teams respond to patient portal messages sent by patients from different racial and ethnic groups. Design, Setting, and Participants In a cross-sectional design in a large safety-net health system, response outcomes from medical advice message threads sent from January 1, 2021, through November 24, 2021, from Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White patients were compared, controlling for patient and message thread characteristics. Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White patients with 1 or more adult primary care visits at Boston Medical Center in calendar year 2020 were included. Data analysis was conducted from June 23, 2022, through December 21, 2023. Exposure Patient race and ethnicity. Main Outcomes and Measures Rates at which medical advice request messages were responded to by care teams and the types of health care professionals that responded. Results A total of 39 043 patients were included in the sample: 2006 were Asian, 21 600 were Black, 7185 were Hispanic, and 8252 were White. A total of 22 744 (58.3%) patients were women and mean (SD) age was 50.4 (16.7) years. In 2021, these patients initiated 57 704 medical advice request message threads. When patients who belong to minoritized racial and ethnic groups sent these messages, the likelihood of receiving any care team response was similar, but the types of health care professionals that responded differed. Black patients were 3.95 percentage points (pp) less likely (95% CI, -5.34 to -2.57 pp; P < .001) to receive a response from an attending physician, and 3.01 pp more likely (95% CI, 1.76-4.27 pp; P < .001) to receive a response from a registered nurse, corresponding to a 17.4% lower attending response rate. Similar, but smaller, differences were observed for Asian and Hispanic patients. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study suggest lower prioritization of patients who belong to minoritized racial and ethnic groups during triaging. Understanding and addressing these disparities will be important for improving care equity and informing health care delivery support algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell Tang
- Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca G. Mishuris
- Digital, Mass General Brigham, Somerville, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lily Payvandi
- Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ariel D. Stern
- Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard-MIT Center for Regulatory Science, Boston, Massachusetts
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13
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Fennelly O, Moroney D, Doyle M, Eustace-Cook J, Hughes M. Key interoperability Factors for patient portals and Electronic health Records: A scoping review. Int J Med Inform 2024; 183:105335. [PMID: 38266425 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
AIM To identify the key requirements and challenges to interoperability between patient portals and electronic health records (EHRs). INTRODUCTION Patient portals provide patients with access to their health information directly from EHRs within hospitals, primary care centres and general practices (GPs). Patient portals offer many benefits to patients including improved communication with healthcare providers and care coordination. However, many challenges exist with the integration and automatic and secure sharing of information between EHRs and patient portals. It is critical that countries learn from international experiences to successfully develop interoperable national patient portals. METHODS A scoping review methodology was undertaken. A search strategy using index terms and keywords was applied across four key databases, an additional grey literature search was also run. The identified studies were screened by two reviewers to determine eligibility against defined inclusion criteria. Data were abstracted from the eligible studies and reviewed to identify the key requirements and challenges to interoperability of patient portals with EHRs. RESULTS After screening 3,462 studies, 34 were included across 11 countries. Of the 29 unique patient portals studied, few offered patients access to their entire healthcare record across multiple sites and a number of different functionalities were available. Key interoperability requirements and challenges identified were: Data Sharing Incentives & Supports; Heterogenous Organisations & Information Systems; Data Storage & Management; Available Information & Functionalities; Data Formats & Standards; Identification of Individuals; User Access, Control & Consent; and Security & Privacy. CONCLUSION Seamless exchange of health information across patient portals and EHRs required organisational and individual factors, as well as technical considerations. Interorganisational collaboration and engagement of key stakeholders to determine standards and guidelines for consent and sharing of information, as well as technical standards and security measures were recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michelle Doyle
- Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin, Ireland
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14
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Haff N, Choudhry NK, Bhatkhande G, Keller PA, Robertson T, Oran R, Horn D, Crum KL, Oduol T, Hanken K, Lauffenburger JC. "How" Versus "Why" Messaging to Increase Uptake of Booster Vaccination Against COVID-19: Results of a Pragmatic Randomized Trial. J Gen Intern Med 2024; 39:611-618. [PMID: 37932539 PMCID: PMC10973315 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08492-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Messages aimed at increasing uptake of vaccines have been modestly successful, perhaps in part because they often focus on why individuals should receive a vaccine. Construal Level Theory posits that messages emphasizing "how" to get a vaccine may be more effective at encouraging vaccination than emphasizing "why." This message framing may be particularly important for COVID-19 booster acceptance. OBJECTIVE To determine if pre-visit patient portal messages designed using Construal Level Theory increase rates of COVID-19 booster vaccination. DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS This 3-arm randomized trial was conducted across three large, diverse primary care clinics in Massachusetts between February and May 2022, testing the impact of "how" versus "why" framed pre-visit messages versus no messages ("usual care"). Messages were sent by patient portal two business days before a visit. PARTICIPANTS Adults with upcoming primary care visits who had electronic health record evidence of receiving their initial COVID-19 vaccination series but not a booster dose. MAIN MEASURES Receipt of a COVID-19 booster vaccination after the message was sent through the visit date (primary outcome) or 6 weeks (secondary outcome). KEY RESULTS A total of 3665 patients were randomized (mean age: 53.5 years (SD: 17.3), 59% female, 65.2% White, 26.6% Hispanic), with 1249 to "how" 1199 to "why," and 1217 to usual care arms. Except for clinic and preferred language, characteristics were well balanced across arms. Rates of COVID-19 booster were 13.6% (usual care), 11.7% ("how") (odds ratio (OR) "how" vs usual care: 0.87, 95%CI: 0.67-1.14), and 13.7% ("why") ("why" vs usual care: OR: 1.01, 95%CI: 0.81-1.28). At 6 weeks, "why" outperformed "how" for vaccination (OR: 1.26, 95%CI: 1.06-1.49), with no difference versus usual care. CONCLUSIONS We found no differences on visit booster receipt after single pre-visit portal messages designed using Construal Level Theory. Further studies to identify effective messaging interventions are needed, especially as additional doses are recommended. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, ID: NCT04871776 . Initial release occurred 04/30/2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Haff
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS) and Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Niteesh K Choudhry
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS) and Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gauri Bhatkhande
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS) and Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Punam A Keller
- Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel Horn
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine L Crum
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS) and Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Theresa Oduol
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS) and Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Kaitlin Hanken
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS) and Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Julie C Lauffenburger
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Sciences (C4HDS) and Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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15
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Lo B, Shin HD, Kemp J, Munnery M, Chen S, Ma C, Jankowicz D, Mehta R, Harris A, Sakal M, Pundit R, Chung K, Kuziemsky C, Rossetti S, Strudwick G. Shifting Mindsets: The Impact of a Patient Portal on Functioning and Recovery in a Mental Health Setting. Can J Psychiatry 2024; 69:217-227. [PMID: 37644885 PMCID: PMC10874602 DOI: 10.1177/07067437231197060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to understand whether higher use of a patient portal can have an impact on mental health functioning and recovery. METHOD A mixed methods approach was used for this study. In 2019-2021, patients with mental health diagnoses at outpatient clinics in an academic centre were invited to complete World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale 12 (WHODAS-12) and Mental Health Recovery Measure surveys at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months after signing up for the portal. At the 3-month time point, patients were invited to a semistructured interview with a member of the team to contextualize the findings obtained from the surveys. Analytics data was also collected from the platform to understand usage patterns on the portal. RESULTS Overall, 113 participants were included in the analysis. There was no significant change in mental health functioning and recovery scores over the 6-month period. However, suboptimal usage was observed as 46% of participants did not complete any tasks within the portal. Thirty-five participants had low use of the portal (1-9 interactions) and 18 participants had high usage (10+ interactions). There were also no differences in mental health functioning and recovery scores between low and high users of the portal. Qualitative interviews highlighted many opportunities where the portal can support overall functioning and mental health recovery. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, this study suggests that higher use of a portal had no impact, either positive or negative, on mental health outcomes. While it may offer convenience and improved patient satisfaction, adequate support is needed to fully enable these opportunities for patient care. As the type of interaction with the portal was not specifically addressed, future work should focus on looking at ways to support patient engagement and portal usage throughout their care journey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Lo
- Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Information Management & Technology, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hwayeon Danielle Shin
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica Kemp
- Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mikayla Munnery
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sheng Chen
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Clement Ma
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Damian Jankowicz
- Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rohan Mehta
- Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandra Harris
- Interprofessional Practice, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Moshe Sakal
- Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan Pundit
- Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Craig Kuziemsky
- Office of Research, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sarah Rossetti
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gillian Strudwick
- Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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16
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Schultis K, Ostdiek-Wille G, Deibert CM. Patient Portal Engagement Affects Postvasectomy Semen Analysis Completion. Urology 2024; 185:137-141. [PMID: 38367713 DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2023.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify factors that affect completion of postvasectomy semen analysis (PVSA) in men receiving telehealth prevasectomy counseling. Telehealth visits have become increasingly common for prevasectomy consultations. Prior studies have shown that men prefer telehealth vasectomy consultations over in-person options. Postvasectomy semen testing should be completed to confirm sterilization. METHODS Three hundred and seventy-one men aged 19 and older who saw a single physician for a telehealth prevasectomy consultation and completed an in-office vasectomy were included in the study. Demographic information such as age, patient relationship status, and distance from the clinic were accessed via electronic medical record. Patients were assessed based on their engagement with electronic preprocedure instructions, and the primary outcome measured was completion of PVSA. RESULTS 45.6% of men completed a PVSA. There was no significant difference in completion of the PVSA between those who opened their electronic instructions before their vasectomy and those who did not (46.1% vs 44.4%, P = .77). Of those who messaged the clinic for any reason at least once after their consultation, 62% completed their PVSA; 41% who did not contact the clinic completed the PVSA (P = .0009). CONCLUSION While there was no difference in completion of PVSA in patients who opened their instructions vs those who did not, patients with a higher level of engagement with the patient portals were more likely to complete their semen test. By understanding factors influencing patient compliance with postvasectomy semen testing, healthcare professionals can develop targeted interventions to ensure safe and successful outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Schultis
- College of Medicine; University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
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17
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O'Sullivan-Steben K, Galarneau L, Judd S, Laizner AM, Williams T, Kildea J. Design and implementation of a prototype radiotherapy menu in a patient portal. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2024; 25:e14201. [PMID: 37942985 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.14201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Radiotherapy patients often face undue anxiety due to misconceptions about radiation and their inability to visualize their upcoming treatments. Access to their personal treatment plans is one way in which pre-treatment anxiety may be reduced. But radiotherapy data are quite complex, requiring specialized software for display and necessitating personalized explanations for patients to understand them. Therefore, our goal was to design and implement a novel radiotherapy menu in a patient portal to improve patient access to and understanding of their radiotherapy treatment plans. METHODS A prototype radiotherapy menu was developed in our institution's patient portal following a participatory stakeholder co-design methodology. Customizable page templates were designed to render key radiotherapy data in the portal's patient-facing mobile phone app. DICOM-RT data were used to provide patients with relevant treatment parameters and generate pre-treatment 3D visualizations of planned treatment beams, while the mCODE data standard was used to provide post-treatment summaries of the delivered treatments. A focus group was conducted to gather initial patient feedback on the menu. RESULTS Pre-treatment: the radiotherapy menu provides patients with a personalized treatment plan overview, including a personalized explanation of their treatment, along with an interactive 3D rendering of their body, and treatment beams for visualization. Post-treatment: a summary of the delivered radiotherapy is provided, allowing patients to retain a concise personal record of their treatment that can easily be shared with future healthcare providers. Focus group feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Patients highlighted how the intuitive presentation of their complex radiotherapy data would better prepare them for their radiation treatments. CONCLUSIONS We successfully designed and implemented a prototype radiotherapy menu in our institution's patient portal that improves patient access to and understanding of their radiotherapy data. We used the mCODE data standard to generate post-treatment summaries in a way that is easily shareable and interoperable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luc Galarneau
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Susie Judd
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea M Laizner
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tristan Williams
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - John Kildea
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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18
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Kyytsönen M, Vehko T, Jylhä V, Kinnunen UM. Privacy concerns among the users of a national patient portal: A cross-sectional population survey study. Int J Med Inform 2024; 183:105336. [PMID: 38183787 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Seeking and receiving care requires disclosure of personal information which is recorded as health data in electronic health records. Thereafter, restricting the flow of information is dependent on data protection, information security, ethical conduct, and law. Privacy concerns may arise as patients' options concerning privacy have been balanced to cater both the privacy of patients and the needs of healthcare, as well as secondary use of data. METHODS This study examined privacy concerns among the users of a national patient portal in a representative sample of Finnish adults aged 20 to 99 years old (n = 3,731). We used logistic regression analysis with population weights to seek answers to which factors are associated with privacy concerns. The cross-sectional survey data was collected in 2020. RESULTS Every third patient portal user had privacy concerns. Those who were 50 to 59 years old (p = 0.030) had privacy concerns more often than 20 to 49-year-olds. Those who had financial difficulties (p = 0.003) also had privacy concerns more often while those, who had good digital skills (p=<0.026), did not need guidance on telehealth service use (p=<0.001) and found telehealth service use to be beneficial (p = 0.008), had privacy concerns less often. CONCLUSION The usefulness of telehealth seems to play an important role in privacy concerns. Another important factor is the skills required to use telehealth services. We encourage providing guidance to those who lack the necessary skills for telehealth service use. We also encourage putting effort not only into data protection and information security measures of telehealth services, but also into providing transparent and comprehensible privacy information for the service users as privacy concerns are common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maiju Kyytsönen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland; University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Tuulikki Vehko
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Virpi Jylhä
- University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Research Centre for Nursing Science and Social and Health Management, Kuopio University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of North Savo, P.O.Box 1711, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Ulla-Mari Kinnunen
- University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Research Centre for Nursing Science and Social and Health Management, Kuopio University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of North Savo, P.O.Box 1711, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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Bell SK, Amat MJ, Anderson TS, Aronson MD, Benneyan JC, Fernandez L, Ricci DA, Salant T, Schiff GD, Shafiq U, Singer SJ, Sternberg SB, Zhang C, Phillips RS. Do patients who read visit notes on the patient portal have a higher rate of "loop closure" on diagnostic tests and referrals in primary care? A retrospective cohort study. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2024; 31:622-630. [PMID: 38164964 PMCID: PMC10873783 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocad250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The 2021 US Cures Act may engage patients to help reduce diagnostic errors/delays. We examined the relationship between patient portal registration with/without note reading and test/referral completion in primary care. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective cohort study of patients with visits from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, and order for (1) colonoscopy, (2) dermatology referral for concerning lesions, or (3) cardiac stress test at 2 academic primary care clinics. We examined differences in timely completion ("loop closure") of tests/referrals for (1) patients who used the portal and read ≥1 note (Portal + Notes); (2) those with a portal account but who did not read notes (Portal Account Only); and (3) those who did not register for the portal (No Portal). We estimated the predictive probability of loop closure in each group after adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical factors using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Among 12 849 tests/referrals, loop closure was more common among Portal+Note-readers compared to their counterparts for all tests/referrals (54.2% No Portal, 57.4% Portal Account Only, 61.6% Portal+Notes, P < .001). In adjusted analysis, compared to the No Portal group, the odds of loop closure were significantly higher for Portal Account Only (OR 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4), and Portal+Notes (OR 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3-1.6) groups. Beyond portal registration, note reading was independently associated with loop closure (P = .002). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Compared to no portal registration, the odds of loop closure were 20% higher in tests/referrals for patients with a portal account, and 40% higher in tests/referrals for note readers, after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical factors. However, important safety gaps from unclosed loops remain, requiring additional engagement strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigall K Bell
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Maelys J Amat
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Timothy S Anderson
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Mark D Aronson
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - James C Benneyan
- Healthcare Systems Engineering Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Leonor Fernandez
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Dru A Ricci
- Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Talya Salant
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Bowdoin Street Health Center, Dorchester, MA 02122, United States
| | - Gordon D Schiff
- Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Umber Shafiq
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Sara J Singer
- Department of Health Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Scot B Sternberg
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Cancan Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Russell S Phillips
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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20
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Yoon E, Hur S, Opsasnick L, Huang W, Batio S, Curtis LM, Benavente JY, Lewis-Thames MW, Liebovitz DM, Wolf MS, Serper M. Disparities in Patient Portal Use Among Adults With Chronic Conditions. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e240680. [PMID: 38421645 PMCID: PMC10905301 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.0680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Disparities in patient access and use of health care portals have been documented. Limited research has evaluated disparities in portal use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective To assess prevalence of health care portal use before, during, and after the most restrictive phase of the pandemic (2019-2022) among the COVID-19 & Chronic Conditions (C3) cohort and to investigate any disparities in use by sociodemographic factors. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study uses data from the C3 study, an ongoing, longitudinal, telephone-based survey of participants with multiple chronic conditions. Participants were middle aged and older-adult primary care patients who had an active portal account, recruited from a single academic medical center in Chicago, Illinois, between 2019 and 2022. Data were analyzed between March and June 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures Outcomes of portal use (ie, number of days of portal login by year) were recorded for all study participants by the electronic data warehouse. All parent studies had uniform sociodemographic data and measures of social support, self-efficacy, health literacy, and health activation. Results Of 536 participants (mean [SD] age, 66.7 [12.0] years; 336 [62.7%] female), 44 (8.2%) were Hispanic or Latinx, 142 (26.5%) were non-Hispanic Black, 322 (60.1%) were non-Hispanic White, and 20 individuals (3.7%) identified as other race, including Asian, Native American or Alaskan Native, and self-reported other race. In multivariable analyses, portal login activity was higher during the 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the 2019 baseline. Higher portal login activity was associated with adequate health literacy (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.51; 95% CI, 1.18-1.94) and multimorbidity (IRR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17-1.64). Lower portal activity was associated with older age (≥70 years: IRR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55-0.85) and female sex (IRR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66-0.91). Compared with non-Hispanic White patients, lower portal activity was observed among Hispanic or Latinx patients (IRR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.89), non-Hispanic Black patients (IRR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56-0.83), and patients who identified as other race (IRR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.28-0.64). Conclusions and Relevance This cohort study using data from the C3 study identified changes in portal use over time and highlighted populations that had lower access to health information. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase in portal use. Sociodemographic disparities by sex and age were reduced, although disparities by health literacy widened. A brief validated health literacy measure may serve as a useful digital literacy screening tool to identify patients who need further support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Yoon
- Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Supportive Oncology, Rush University Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Scott Hur
- Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lauren Opsasnick
- Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Wei Huang
- Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Stephanie Batio
- Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Laura M. Curtis
- Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Julia Yoshinso Benavente
- Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Marquita W. Lewis-Thames
- Department of Medical Social Science, Center for Community Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Michael S. Wolf
- Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Marina Serper
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia
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Schwarz J, Meier-Diedrich E, Neumann K, Heinze M, Eisenmann Y, Thoma S. Reasons for Acceptance or Rejection of Online Record Access Among Patients Affected by a Severe Mental Illness: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Ment Health 2024; 11:e51126. [PMID: 38315523 PMCID: PMC10877495 DOI: 10.2196/51126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past few years, online record access (ORA) has been established through secure patient portals in various countries, allowing patients to access their health data, including clinical notes ("open notes"). Previous research indicates that ORA in mental health, particularly among patients with severe mental illness (SMI), has been rarely offered. Little is known about the expectations and motivations of patients with SMI when reading what their clinicians share via ORA. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore the reasons why patients with SMI consider or reject ORA and whether sociodemographic characteristics may influence patient decisions. METHODS ORA was offered to randomly selected patients at 3 university outpatient clinics in Brandenburg, Germany, which exclusively treat patients with SMI. Within the framework of a mixed methods evaluation, qualitative interviews were conducted with patients who chose to participate in ORA and those who declined, aiming to explore the underlying reasons for their decisions. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Sociodemographic characteristics of patients were examined using descriptive statistics to identify predictors of acceptance or rejection of ORA. RESULTS Out of 103 included patients, 58% (n=60) wished to read their clinical notes. The reasons varied, ranging from a desire to engage more actively in their treatment to critically monitoring it and using the accessible data for third-party purposes. Conversely, 42% (n=43) chose not to use ORA, voicing concerns about possibly harming the trustful relationship with their clinicians as well as potential personal distress or uncertainty arising from reading the notes. Practical barriers such as a lack of digital literacy or suspected difficult-to-understand medical language were also named as contributing factors. Correlation analysis revealed that the majority of patients with depressive disorder desired to read the clinical notes (P<.001), while individuals with psychotic disorders showed a higher tendency to decline ORA (P<.05). No significant group differences were observed for other patient groups or characteristics. CONCLUSIONS The adoption of ORA is influenced by a wide range of motivational factors, while patients also present a similar variety of reasons for declining its use. The results emphasize the urgent need for knowledge and patient education regarding factors that may hinder the decision to use ORA, including its practical usage, its application possibilities, and concerns related to data privacy. Further research is needed to explore approaches for adequately preparing individuals with SMI to transition from their inherent interest to active engagement with ORA. TRIAL REGISTRATION German Clinical Trial Register DRKS00030188; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00030188.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Schwarz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, Immanuel Hospital Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Center for Health Service Research Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Eva Meier-Diedrich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, Immanuel Hospital Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Katharina Neumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, Immanuel Hospital Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf, Germany
| | - Martin Heinze
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, Immanuel Hospital Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Center for Health Service Research Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Yvonne Eisenmann
- Center for Health Service Research Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Samuel Thoma
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Mental Health, Immanuel Hospital Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
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Yin R, Neyens DM. Examining how information presentation methods and a chatbot impact the use and effectiveness of electronic health record patient portals: An exploratory study. Patient Educ Couns 2024; 119:108055. [PMID: 37976665 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2023.108055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Examining information presentation strategies that may facilitate patient education through patient portals is important for effective health education. METHODS A randomized exploratory study evaluated information presentation (text or videos) and a chatbot in patient education and examined several performance and outcome variables (e.g., search duration, Decisional Conflict Scale, and eye-tracking measures), along with a simple descriptive qualitative content analysis of the transcript of chatbot. RESULTS Of the 92 participants, those within the text conditions (n = 46, p < 0.001), had chatbot experiences (B =-74.85, p = 0.046), knew someone with IBD (B =-98.66, p = 0.039), and preferred to engage in medical decision-making (B =102.32, p = 0.006) were more efficient in information-searching. Participants with videos spent longer in information-searching (mean=666.5 (SD=171.6) VS 480.3 (SD=159.5) seconds, p < 0.001) but felt more informed (mean score=18.8 (SD=17.6) VS 27.4 (SD=18.9), p = 0.027). The participants' average eye fixation duration with videos was significantly higher (mean= 473.8 ms, SD=52.9, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Participants in video conditions were less efficient but more effective in information seeking. Exploring the trade-offs between efficiency and effectiveness for user interface designs is important to appropriately deliver education within patient portals. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS This study suggests that user interface designs and chatbots impact health information's efficiency and effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Yin
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Pittsburg Institute, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - David M Neyens
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
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Pope N, Jones S, Crellin D, Palmer G, South M, Harrison D. "Seeing the light in the shade of it": primary caregiver and youth perspectives on using an inpatient portal for pain care during hospitalization. Pain 2024; 165:450-460. [PMID: 37638836 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Studies from multiple countries report that most hospitalized children, especially the youngest and sickest, experience pain that is often severe yet inadequately treated. Evidence suggests this can lead to immediate and lifelong consequences affecting children, families, and communities. Partnership and shared decision-making by children, families, and clinicians is the ideal pediatric healthcare model and can improve care quality and safety, including pain care. A growing evidence base demonstrates that inpatient portals (electronic personal health record applications linked to hospital electronic medical or health records) can improve child and family engagement, outcomes, and satisfaction during hospitalization. This study examined the perspectives of caregivers of hospitalized children and of hospitalized youth about using an inpatient portal to support their engagement in pain care while in hospital. A qualitative descriptive study design was used and 20 participants (15 caregivers and 5 youth) with various painful conditions in one pediatric hospital participated in semistructured interviews. The authors applied a reflexive content analysis to the data and developed 3 broad categories: (1) connecting and sharing knowledge about pain, (2) user-centred designs, and (3) preserving roles. These findings outlined caregiver and youth recommendations for portal configurations that deeply engage and empower children and families in pain care through multidirectional knowledge sharing, supporting caregiver and clinicians' roles without burdening, or replacing human interaction implicit in family-centered pain care. Further research should measure the impact of portals on pain-related outcomes and explore the perspectives of clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Pope
- The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing
- The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sophie Jones
- The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing
- The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Dianne Crellin
- The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing
- The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Greta Palmer
- The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing
- The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mike South
- The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing
- The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Denise Harrison
- The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing
- The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Australia. Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Department Paediatrics
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24
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Midboe AM, Cave S, Shimada SL, Griffin AC, Avoundjian T, Asch SM, Gifford AL, McInnes DK, Troszak LK. Relationship Between Patient Portal Tool Use and Medication Adherence and Viral Load Among Patients Living with HIV. J Gen Intern Med 2024; 39:127-135. [PMID: 38252241 PMCID: PMC10937883 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08474-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient portals play an increasingly critical role in engaging patients in their health care. They have the potential to significantly impact the health of those living with chronic diseases, such as HIV, for whom consistent care engagement is both critical and complex. OBJECTIVE The primary aim was to examine the longitudinal relationships between individual portal tool use and health-related outcomes in patients living with HIV. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data to examine the relationship between patient portal tool use and key HIV-specific, health-related outcomes in patients engaged in care in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) through the application of marginal structural models. PARTICIPANTS A national sample of patients living with HIV (PLWH) active in VA care who were registered to use the VA's patient portal, My HealtheVet (MHV; n = 18,390) between 10/1/2012 and 4/1/2017. MAIN MEASURES The MHV tools examined were prescription refill (including prescription refill of an antiretroviral (ART) medication and any medication), secure messaging, view appointments, and view labs. Primary outcomes were viral load test receipt, viral load suppression, and ART medication adherence (measured as proportion of days covered). KEY RESULTS The use of prescription refill for any medication or for ART was positively associated with ART adherence. Secure messaging was positively associated with ART adherence but not with viral load test receipt or viral load suppression. The use of view appointments was positively associated with ART adherence and viral load test receipt but not viral load suppression. The use of view labs was positively associated with viral load suppression but not ART adherence or viral load test receipt. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the valuable role patient portals may play in improving health-related outcomes among PLWH and have implications for patients living with other types of chronic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Midboe
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Shayna Cave
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie L Shimada
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, Veterans Affairs Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ashley C Griffin
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tigran Avoundjian
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Steven M Asch
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Allen L Gifford
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, Veterans Affairs Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Donald Keith McInnes
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, Veterans Affairs Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Lara K Troszak
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA
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Wang K, Chu JN, Oh DL, Shariff‐Marco S, Allen L, Kuo M, Wong C, Bui H, Chen J, Li FM, Ma C, Truong A, Gomez SL, Nguyen TT, Tsoh JY. Correlates of supportive care needs among Asian Americans with colorectal, liver, or lung cancer from a web-based patient navigation portal intervention: The Patient COUNTS study. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2024; 7:e1971. [PMID: 38351528 PMCID: PMC10864727 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans, who often face barriers to cancer care. Cancer supportive care needs among Asian Americans remain understudied. AIMS We examined cancer supportive care needs and participant factors correlated with these needs, identified profiles of supportive care needs, and examined whether needs profiles are associated with quality of life among Asian American adults. METHODS AND RESULTS We recruited 47 Asian American adults with colorectal, liver, or lung cancer who spoke Chinese, English, or Vietnamese, and were starting or undergoing cancer treatment. We assessed cancer supportive care needs in four domains: cancer information, daily living, behavioral health, and language assistance. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify clusters of participants based on their supportive need profiles to further examine the association between need profiles and quality of life (QoL) assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy. Participants (mean age = 57.6) included 72% males and 62% spoke English less than very well. Older participants (age ≥ 65) and those with annual income <$50K reported higher daily living needs. Men and younger participants (age < 50) reported higher behavioral health needs. We found three clusters displaying distinct cancer supportive need profiles: Cluster 1 (28% of the sample) displayed high needs across all domains; Cluster 2 (51%) had low needs across all domains; and Cluster 3 (21%) had high needs for cancer information and daily living. Cluster 1 participants reported the lowest QoL. CONCLUSION Cancer supportive care needs among Asian American patients with colorectal, liver, and lung cancer were associated with patient characteristics and QoL. Understanding cancer supportive care needs will inform future interventions to improve care and QoL for Asian American patients with cancer. CLINICALTRIALS gov Identifier: NCT03867916.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Wang
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Department of Epidemiology & BiostatisticsUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Janet N. Chu
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Division of General Internal MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Debora L. Oh
- Department of Epidemiology & BiostatisticsUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Salma Shariff‐Marco
- Department of Epidemiology & BiostatisticsUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Laura Allen
- Department of Epidemiology & BiostatisticsUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Mei‐Chin Kuo
- Department of Epidemiology & BiostatisticsUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Ching Wong
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Division of General Internal MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Hoan Bui
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Division of General Internal MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Junlin Chen
- Division of General Internal MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Feng Ming Li
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Carmen Ma
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Angeline Truong
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Scarlett L. Gomez
- Department of Epidemiology & BiostatisticsUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Tung T. Nguyen
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Division of General Internal MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
| | - Janice Y. Tsoh
- Asian American Research Center on Health, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan Francisco
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSan Francisco
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Short-Russell M, Thompson J, Waldrop J. Secure Messaging: Demonstration and Enrollment Patient Portal Program: Patient Portal Use in Vulnerable Populations. Comput Inform Nurs 2024; 42:104-108. [PMID: 38206326 DOI: 10.1097/cin.0000000000001098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Vulnerable populations face challenges gaining access to quality healthcare, which places them at a high risk for poor health outcomes. Using patient portals and secure messaging can improve patient activation, access to care, patient follow-up adherence, and health outcomes. Developing and testing quality improvement strategies to help reduce disparities is vital to ensure patient portals benefit all, especially vulnerable populations. This quality improvement initiative aimed to increase enrollment in a patient portal, use secure messages, and adhere to follow-up appointments. Before the project, no patients were enrolled in the portal at this practice site. Over 8 weeks, 61% of invited patients were enrolled in the patient portal. Eighty-five percent were Medicaid recipients, and the others were underinsured. Eight patients utilized the portal for secure messaging. The follow-up appointment attendance rate was better in the enrolled patients than in those who did not enroll. The majority of survey respondents reported satisfaction in using the patient portal. Patient portal utilization and adoption in vulnerable groups can improve when a one-on-one, hands-on demonstration and technical assistance are provided.
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Joseph AL, Monkman H, MacDonald L, Lai C. Interpreting Laboratory Results with Complementary Health Information: A Human Factors Perspective. Stud Health Technol Inform 2024; 310:1061-1065. [PMID: 38269977 DOI: 10.3233/shti231127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The desire to access personal and high-quality health information electronically is increasing, not only in Canada, but globally. With the advent of the COVID - 19 pandemic the desire and demand for telemedicine and timely access to personal health data such as online laboratory (lab) results has increased substantially. This study examines citizens' perspectives of being provided with high-quality information about a specific lab test (i.e., potassium) in the same display as a trend graph. Therefore, the objective of this study is to test how participants managed this additional information about the context of the test, understood, and applied it. The researchers analyzed the responses of semi-structured interviews with Canadian participants (N=24) using conventional content analysis. This paper examined four themes related to providing complementary information concurrently with lab results in the same display: 1) Benefits of Collocated Information, 2) Information Overload, 3) Misinterpretation, 4) Confusion. This study provided examples of some of the difficulties that the participants faced accessing their lab values online, while navigating and discerning complimentary high-quality health information available in their patient portal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Joseph
- School of Health Information Science, University of Victoria, Canada
| | - Helen Monkman
- School of Health Information Science, University of Victoria, Canada
| | - Leah MacDonald
- School of Health Information Science, University of Victoria, Canada
| | - Claudia Lai
- School of Health Information Science, University of Victoria, Canada
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Colussi G, Descalzo J, Paoloni A, Obregón O, Cassarino M, Jaca P. Oncology Patient Portal: Understanding User's Needs and Expectations. Stud Health Technol Inform 2024; 310:484-488. [PMID: 38269850 DOI: 10.3233/shti231012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The objective of this work was to explore the needs and expectations of the users of the Alexander Fleming Institute (IAF) regarding patient-oriented information systems, with the purpose of planning and prioritizing the implementation of improvements in the patient portal. The textual comments of patients who were treated at the institution between November 2021 and April 2022 and answered the satisfaction survey sent by IAF were analyzed using the content analysis technique. The results showed 6 main emerging issues: (1) the need for patients to have their clinical and administrative information in a single platform; (2) to have their clinical documentation available at the appropriate time; (3) to have clearer and more friendly information on preparation before diagnostic studies and (4) chemotherapy first time talks; (5) more accessible information on complementary treatments in the oncological context; (6) in-app appointment queue functionalities. The findings reported in this work served as an input to design an improvement plan for the patient portal and the institution's digital ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Descalzo
- Instituto Alexander Fleming, Cramer 1180 CABA, Argentina
| | | | - Oscar Obregón
- Instituto Alexander Fleming, Cramer 1180 CABA, Argentina
| | | | - Pablo Jaca
- Instituto Alexander Fleming, Cramer 1180 CABA, Argentina
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Passos Trindade V, Bonacina S. Development Process for Type 2 Diabetes Patient Applications: Findings from a Literature Review. Stud Health Technol Inform 2024; 310:499-503. [PMID: 38269859 DOI: 10.3233/shti231015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
For type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, self-management of the disease is an essential part of the treatment. Patient portals and personal health records (PHRs) are powerful applications for self-managing T2D. It is however unclear what features of existing applications provide best support for self-management of type 2 diabetes. We retrieved and analyzed twenty-two studies to identify features which promote self-management of T2D. The results elicited 10 different features and showed that use of patient portals was associated with different health outcomes. Secure messaging, Viewing laboratory results, and Accessing medication history were the most common features, and some specific features were associated with health outcomes. In general, patient portals and PHRs were associated with improved health outcomes. Finally, nine overall recommendations for the development process of patient portals were identified.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefano Bonacina
- Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
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O'Laughlin D, Martin A, Curran S, Perry J, Hurley V, Costello C, Wingo M, Olson R, Strelow B. Closing the gap: improving the percentage of Annual Wellness Visits among Medicare patients. BMJ Open Qual 2024; 13:e002554. [PMID: 38267215 PMCID: PMC10824057 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) allows providers to acquire critical information about patients' health through a review of vitals, environmental risks, and medical and family history. These visits are free to those enrolled in Medicare and prioritize patient-provider relationship building and preventative care. Despite this, AWV completion rates are suboptimal. METHODS A quality improvement project was aimed to increase the percentage of AWVs among Medicare patients in a primary care internal medicine practice from a baseline of 1.7% completion to 2.7% in 3 months from January to April 2023. INTERVENTION With eligible patients identified, a standardized approach was created where an AWV appointment was ordered, and a patient message explaining the benefit of the appointment was sent by the patient portal. RESULTS Our AWV intervention resulted in 72 patients being seen for an AWV, which increased the percentage of completed AWVs in the division by 2.1% from 1.7% to 3.8% in 3 months. CONCLUSION This intervention will continue to improve AWV rates and improve patient care for Medicare patients in internal medicine. It could be applied to other areas of primary care and within other health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle O'Laughlin
- Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Physician Assistant Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew Martin
- Physician Assistant Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sean Curran
- Physician Assistant Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Joshua Perry
- Physician Assistant Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Vincent Hurley
- Physician Assistant Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Colleen Costello
- Physician Assistant Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Majken Wingo
- Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Rachel Olson
- University of Minnesota Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Slater H, Yin Z, Walsh CG. Characterization of Adult Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder that Use Patient Portal. AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2024; 2023:1267-1276. [PMID: 38222351 PMCID: PMC10785869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) access healthcare frequently, yet little is known about their interactions with patient portals. To describe adults with ASD using patient portal, we conducted regression analyses of visit history, demographics, co-occurring conditions and diagnoses, and patient portal use to determine factors most indicative of whether a patient 1) has sent at least one message (via patient or proxy) and 2) has at least one message sent on their behalf via a proxy account after they turned 18 years old. The 2,412-person cohort had 996 (41.3%) patients who had sent at least one message on their account with 129 (5.3%) of patients having at least one proxy message. This study found that adults with ASD are less likely to use messaging functionality and more likely to have a message sent via proxy than other patient populations. Comorbid mental illness was correlated with using messaging functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Slater
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Zhijun Yin
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Colin G Walsh
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
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Noureldin M, Newman KL, Higgins PDR, Piette JD, Resnicow K, Louissaint J, Kenney B, Berinstein J, Waljee AK, Zhu J, Cohen-Mekelburg S. Profiles of Web-based Portal Users with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2024; 30:83-89. [PMID: 37071851 PMCID: PMC10769793 DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izad056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Web-based portals can enhance communication between patients and providers to support IBD self-management and improve care. We aimed to identify portal use patterns of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to inform future web portal-based interventions and portal design. METHODS Patients with IBD receiving care at the University of Michigan between 2012 and 2021 were identified. Meta-data from electronic logs of each patient's most recent year of portal use were abstracted. Portal engagement was characterized in terms of intensity (ie, frequency of use); comprehensiveness (ie, number of portal functions used); and duration (ie, quarters per year of portal use). We used k-means clustering, a machine-learning technique, to identify groupings of portal users defined in terms of engagement features. RESULTS We found 5605 patients with IBD who had accessed their portal account at least once. The average age was 41.2 years (SD 16.7), 3035 (54.2%) were female, and 2214 (39.5%) received immune-targeted therapies. We identified 3 patterns of portal engagement: (1) low intensity users (29.5%); (2) moderate intensity, comprehensive, and sustained users (63.3%); and (3) high intensity, comprehensive, sustained users (7.2%). Patients with more intense, comprehensive, and sustained use of the portal were older, female, with more comorbidities, and were more likely to receive immune-targeted therapies. CONCLUSION Understanding distinct patterns of portal use can inform portal-based interventions and portal design. Patient portals may be particularly helpful in delivering assistance to those with comorbidities and those receiving immune-targeted therapies-many of whom demonstrate more intense, comprehensive, and sustained portal use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Noureldin
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kira L Newman
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Peter D R Higgins
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - John D Piette
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Health care System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kenneth Resnicow
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeremy Louissaint
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Brooke Kenney
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeffrey Berinstein
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Akbar K Waljee
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Health care System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ji Zhu
- Department of Statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Health care System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Kujala S, Simola S, Wang B, Soone H, Hagström J, Bärkås A, Hörhammer I, Cajander Å, Johansen Fagerlund A, Kane B, Kharko A, Kristiansen E, Moll J, Rexphepi H, Hägglund M, Johansen MA. Benchmarking usability of patient portals in Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Int J Med Inform 2024; 181:105302. [PMID: 38011806 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Poor usability is a barrier to widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHR). Providing good usability is especially challenging in the health care context, as there is a wide variety of patient users. Usability benchmarking is an approach for improving usability by evaluating and comparing the strength and weaknesses of systems. The main purpose of this study is to benchmark usability of patient portals across countries. METHODS A mixed-methods survey approach was applied to benchmark the national patient portals offering patient access to EHR in Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. These Nordic countries have similar public healthcare systems, and they are pioneers in offering patients access to EHR for several years. In a survey of 29,334 patients, both patients' quantitative ratings of usability and their qualitative descriptions of very positive and very negative peak experiences of portal use were collected. RESULTS The usability scores ranged from good to fair level of usability. The narratives of very positive and very negative experiences included the benefits of the patient portals and experienced usability issues. The regression analysis of results showed that very positive and negative experiences of patient portal use explain 19-35% of the variation of usability scores in the four countries. The percentage of patients who reported very positive or very negative experiences in each country was unrelated to the usability scores across countries. CONCLUSIONS The survey approach could be used to evaluate usability with a wide variety of users and it supported learning from comparison across the countries. The combination of quantitative and qualitative data provided an approximation of the level of the perceived usability, and identified usability issues to be improved and useful features that patients appreciate. Further work is needed to improve the comparability of the varied samples across countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Kujala
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
| | - Saija Simola
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Bo Wang
- Norwegian Centre for E-health Research, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Hedvig Soone
- E-Medicine Centre, Department of Health Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Josefin Hagström
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Annika Bärkås
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Iiris Hörhammer
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Åsa Cajander
- Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Bridget Kane
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Karlstad University Business School, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Anna Kharko
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden; Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Eli Kristiansen
- Norwegian Centre for E-health Research, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jonas Moll
- Center for Empirical Research on Information Systems, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | | | - Maria Hägglund
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monika A Johansen
- Norwegian Centre for E-health Research, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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Anthony D, Campos-Castillo C, Nishii A. Patient-centered communication, disparities, and patient portals in the US, 2017-2022. Am J Manag Care 2024; 30:19-25. [PMID: 38271579 DOI: 10.37765/ajmc.2024.89483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To identify the relationship between patient-centered communication and portal offers and use among insured adult patients and to understand the role of patient-centered communication in equitable access to portals. STUDY DESIGN Using data from 4 cycles of the Health Information National Trends Survey across 2017-2022, we determined how patient-centered communication and sociodemographic characteristics of adult insured patients in the US are associated with offers of and access to online patient portals. METHODS We conducted multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine associations of patient-centered communication and sociodemographic characteristics of adult insured patients in the US with offers of and access to online patient portals. RESULTS Across the period of 2017-2022, approximately two-thirds of insured adult patients on average reported being offered a patient portal, and approximately half reported accessing a portal. Patients with lower-than-average patient-centered communication and those who are men, are Hispanic, have less than a college degree, and have no internet are less likely than their counterparts to report being offered or accessing a portal. CONCLUSIONS Although patient-centered communication is an important factor in facilitating patient portal offers and access, it does not appear to be a driver of demographic divides in portal use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Anthony
- Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1420 Washington Heights, M3174, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
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Ambinder EB, Wang A, Oluyemi E, Myers KS, Mullen LA. Self-scheduling of Screening Mammograms Using an Online Patient Portal: Initial 8-year Experience at a Multisite Academic Institution. J Am Coll Radiol 2024; 21:141-146. [PMID: 37634791 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2023.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine patient factors associated with the use of self-scheduling of screening mammograms (SMs) using an online portal. METHODS All SMs scheduled at our multisite academic institution from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2022, were included. The frequency of self-scheduling via an online portal was calculated per year. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models with generalized estimating equation were used to estimate associations between patient characteristics and scheduling format after accounting for correlations between mammograms performed on the same woman. RESULTS During the study period, 250,369 SMs were performed in 74,860 unique patients (mean age 59 ± 12 years). Of these, 36,200 (14.5%) were self-scheduled via the online portal. Self-scheduling increased each year, from 3.7% in 2015 to 36.9% in 2022. Younger age, non-Black race, being an English speaker, and being from a nondisadvantaged zip code were significant predictors of self-scheduling on univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Age <50 years versus age ≥70 years was the patient characteristic that most strongly predicted the likelihood of self-scheduling (adjusted odds ratio 5.4, 95% confidence interval 5.2-5.6). CONCLUSIONS Over 8 years (2015-2022), utilization of self-scheduling for screening mammography using an online patient portal increased from 3.7% to 36.9%. Age < 50 years was the patient characteristic that most strongly predicted likelihood of self-scheduling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily B Ambinder
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Annie Wang
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Eniola Oluyemi
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kelly S Myers
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lisa A Mullen
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Sadeghi B, Tran J, Tsai IS, Sadigh G. Role of Online Patient Portal Self-Scheduling and Self-Referral Pathways to Decrease Health Disparity for Screening Mammography. J Am Coll Radiol 2024; 21:147-153. [PMID: 37516158 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2023.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess the rate of self-scheduling and self-referral for screening mammography and to assess sociodemographic factors associated with their use in an academic health care system in southern California. METHODS Patients scheduled for screening mammography between February 1, 2021, and September 20, 2022, were included in this retrospective study. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations among sociodemographic factors, self-referral, and online self-scheduling pathways. RESULTS In total, 22,306 patients were scheduled for screening mammography (mean age, 59 years; 66.8% White, 20.4% Asian, and 20.6% Hispanic). Overall, 3,566 (16.0%) used online self-scheduling, and 1,232 (5.5%) self-referred for screening mammography. Patients 70 years or older (versus 50 years or younger) (odds ratio [OR], 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34-0.51), Spanish (versus English) speakers (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.16-0.31), and those on Medicaid (versus commercially insured) (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.50-0.99) were less likely to self-schedule. Hispanic patients (versus non-Hispanic) (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.20-1.61), Asian patients (versus White) (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.46-1.85), and patients residing in the most (versus least) disadvantaged neighborhoods (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02-1.33) were more likely to self-schedule. Furthermore, patients 70 years or older (versus 50 or younger) (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.52-0.93) and Spanish speakers (OR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.03-0.09) were less likely to self-refer, whereas Black patients (versus White) (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.30-2.75), patients on Medicaid (versus commercially insured) (OR, 3.70; 95% CI, 2.65-5.13), and patients living in the most (versus least) disadvantaged neighborhoods (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.27-1.82) were more likely to self-refer. CONCLUSIONS Sociodemographic differences in online patient portal use and self-referral for screening mammography suggest that the two pathways have been successful in addressing some of the existing scheduling barriers and are a step toward closing the disparity gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Sadeghi
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
| | - Julia Tran
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
| | - Irene S Tsai
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California; Director of Breast Imaging, University of California, Irvine
| | - Gelareh Sadigh
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California; Associate Editor, JACR; Director of Health Services and Comparative Outcome Research, University of California, Irvine.
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Xu L, Sockler PG, Park G, Grossberg AL, Wan J. Characterization of patient portal messaging use and content among a pediatric atopic dermatitis population: A cross-sectional study. J Am Acad Dermatol 2024; 90:165-168. [PMID: 37704108 PMCID: PMC10841176 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.08.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lillian Xu
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Patrick G Sockler
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Giho Park
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anna L Grossberg
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joy Wan
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Lim WL, Koh YLE, Tan ZE, Tan YQ, Tan NC. Self-Efficacy in Patients With Hypertension and Their Perceived Usage of Patient Portals. J Prim Care Community Health 2024; 15:21501319231224253. [PMID: 38212904 PMCID: PMC10785728 DOI: 10.1177/21501319231224253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Self-efficacy in individuals optimizes their hypertension management. Electronic patient portals are being increasingly used to support chronic disease management, as they raise the health literacy of patients and enable them in self-management. However, the association between the use of patient portals and self-efficacy in hypertension management remains unclear. The study aimed to determine the association between self-efficacy among patients with hypertension who are managed in primary care and their demographic characteristics and usage patterns of patient portals. METHOD A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a public primary care clinic in urban Singapore. Multi-ethnic adult patients with hypertension were invited to participate in a self-administered electronic questionnaire. Chi-square test was performed for bivariate analysis; adjusted logistic regression models were used for factors with P value <.1. RESULTS A total of 310 patients (66.8% Chinese, 55.5% males, mean age of 63.1 years) completed the survey. Patient portal users had higher self-efficacy scores than non-users (mean score=63 vs 60, maximum = 80, P = .011). The factors associated with increased patient portal access included younger age <65 years (absolute odds ratio [AOR] = 2.634, 95%CI = 1.432-4.847; P = .002), monthly income >$5000 (AOR = 2.324, 95%CI = 1.104-4.892; P = .026), and post-secondary education level (AOR = 3.128, 95%CI = 1.675-5.839; P < .001). Most patients (93.1%) used the portal to check medical appointments but only1.3% of them used it to record home blood pressure measurements (HBPM). CONCLUSIONS Patient portal usage was associated with higher self-efficacy scores in patients with hypertension. These users were younger, more educated, and earned more than the non-users, but only 1.3% of them used it for HBPM documentation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhi En Tan
- SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yu Quan Tan
- SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ngiap Chuan Tan
- SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore
- SingHealth-Duke NUS Family Medicine Academic Clinical Programme, Singapore, Singapore
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Bratches RWR, Wall JA, Puga F, Pilonieta G, Jablonski R, Bakitas M, Geldmacher DS, Odom JN. Patient Portal Use Among Family Caregivers of Individuals With Dementia and Cancer: Regression Analysis From the National Study of Caregiving. JMIR Aging 2023; 6:e44166. [PMID: 38235767 PMCID: PMC10811454 DOI: 10.2196/44166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Family caregivers are often inexperienced and require information from clinic visits to effectively provide care for patients. Despite reported deficiencies, 68% of health systems facilitate sharing information with family caregivers through the patient portal. The patient portal is especially critical in the context of serious illnesses, like advanced cancer and dementia, where caregiving is intense and informational needs change over the trajectory of disease progression. Objective The objective of our study was to analyze a large, nationally representative sample of family caregivers from the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) to determine individual characteristics and demographic factors associated with patient portal use among family caregivers of persons living with dementia and those living with cancer. Methods We conducted a secondary data analysis using data from the 2020 NSOC sample of family caregivers linked to National Health and Aging Trends Study. Weighted regression analysis by condition (ie, dementia or cancer) was used to examine associations between family caregiver use of the patient portal and demographic variables, including age, race or ethnicity, gender, employment status, caregiver health, education, and religiosity. Results A total of 462 participants (representing 4,589,844 weighted responses) were included in our analysis. In the fully adjusted regression model for caregivers of persons living with dementia, Hispanic ethnicity was associated with higher odds of patient portal use (OR: 2.81, 95% CI 1.05-7.57; P=.04), whereas qualification lower than a college degree was associated with lower odds of patient portal use by family caregiver (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.18-0.71; P<.001. In the fully adjusted regression model for caregivers of persons living with cancer, no variables were found to be statistically significantly associated with patient portal use at the .05 level. Conclusions In our analysis of NSOC survey data, we found differences between how dementia and cancer caregivers access the patient portal. As the patient portal is a common method of connecting caregivers with information from clinic visits, future research should focus on understanding how the portal is used by the groups we have identified, and why.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reed W R Bratches
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BirminghamAL, United States
| | - Jaclyn A Wall
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BirminghamAL, United States
| | - Frank Puga
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BirminghamAL, United States
| | - Giovanna Pilonieta
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BirminghamAL, United States
| | - Rita Jablonski
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BirminghamAL, United States
| | - Marie Bakitas
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BirminghamAL, United States
| | - David S Geldmacher
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BirminghamAL, United States
| | - J Nicholas Odom
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BirminghamAL, United States
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Rabbani M, Nasiri M, Mowla A, Sharifian R. Mental Health Patient Portals Aimed at Depression: A Picture Close to Reality. Stud Health Technol Inform 2023; 311:45-53. [PMID: 34047284 DOI: 10.3233/shti200608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Patient portals can have positive consequences in the empowerment of people with depression by raising awareness about their condition. Patient portals are important yet challenging technologies in the field of mental health care. We conducted a scoping review aiming to investigate some important characteristics and features of the mental health websites and related patient portal services for the target audience including people with depression. For this purpose, two reviewers independently entered the keywords in the popular search engines including Google, Yahoo, and Bing in April 2019, in order to find mental health websites that provide patient portal service targeting depression. Examination of the inclusion and exclusion criteria led finally to the selection of 31 websites. We found out that some features of patient portals including the online questionnaires, messaging between the patient and the healthcare provider, and medication refill were more consistent with the areas on which the mental healthcare providers focus, and thus can be effective in improving the progression of these areas. It is essential for patient portal providers to put more focus on expressing the patient portal's features and objectives on their websites. Besides, it is also necessary to conduct further research to investigate the obstacles and facilitators of the interactive features of the patient portals in the field of mental health care, particularly depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Rabbani
- School of Management and Medical information sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mahdi Nasiri
- School of Management and Medical information sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Arash Mowla
- Department of Psychiatry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Roxana Sharifian
- Health Human Resource Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Ling S, Kassam I, Haider S, Lo B, Strudwick G. Pre-implementation perceptions of clinicians regarding a patient portal in inpatient addictions settings: A qualitative descriptive study. Int J Med Inform 2023; 180:105278. [PMID: 37922661 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient portals have been implemented in many organizations to support patient engagement and empowerment. However, their use in inpatient mental health and addiction settings is relatively new and has not been extensively studied. To address this gap, this study explored clinician perspectives of implementing a patient portal in inpatient addiction settings. METHODS The study followed qualitative descriptive methodology and used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide the research. Interviews were conducted with clinicians working in an inpatient addictions service at a large mental health and addictions teaching hospital in Toronto, Canada. Data analysis was performed using directed content analysis and the CFIR domains. RESULTS Twelve clinicians participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants included prescribers (such as physicians and nurse practitioners), registered nurses, allied health clinicians, and leadership. Participants had positive attitudes toward the patient portal, believing it would benefit patients and support consistency in healthcare. However, they also expressed reservations about its relevance and value during short inpatient admissions. Clinicians perceived the patient portal as compatible with existing workflows, enhancing patient empowerment and facilitating access to medical documentation. Concerns were raised about potential negative impacts on therapeutic rapport, particularly if patients disagreed with or were upset by the contents of their notes. Adaptations to the portal, such as improving documentation templates and providing detailed medication information, were suggested. Participants also highlighted advantages of the portal, including secure communication and access to laboratory results. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians generally had positive attitudes toward implementing a patient portal. However, concerns about maintaining therapeutic rapport and the relevance of information to patients were identified, and adaptations were suggested to improve the utility of a portal in the context of short inpatient stays. The findings provide insights into clinician perspectives and can inform the implementation of patient portals in inpatient addiction settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ling
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Iman Kassam
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Shaista Haider
- Acute Care Progam, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Brian Lo
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gillian Strudwick
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Saadeh C, Hill M, Snowaert S. Patient-reported outcomes for oral oncolytic therapy: A pilot study utilizing an electronic patient portal in a community cancer center. J Oncol Pharm Pract 2023; 29:1974-1981. [PMID: 36872653 DOI: 10.1177/10781552231162013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A pilot project was initiated to determine the feasibility of using an electronic patient portal, MyChart, for documentation of patient-reported outcomes for those receiving treatment with an oral oncolytic. METHODS Documentation of patient-reported outcomes within the electronic medical record before and after implementing questionnaires through the use of MyChart was compared. Additional outcomes that were assessed included patient confidence and satisfaction, adherence rate, side effects, and documentation of provider interventions. RESULTS Our findings indicate that the use of an electronic patient portal significantly increased the number of encounters documented within the electronic medical record from 1.8% (N = 19 patients; 1 out of 55 potential encounters; retrospective analysis) to 27.5% (N = 15 patients; 14 out of 51 potential encounters; prospective analysis) for those who utilized an electronic patient portal (p < 0.001). Patient confidence and satisfaction were high, the adherence rate was 100% at 4 months, and side effects were generally mild. Provider follow-up was documented in the electronic medical record in 6 out of 8 patients when a flagged response was identified. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study indicates that the use of an electronic patient portal, MyChart, was feasible and improved documentation of patient-reported outcomes within the electronic medical record. Several information technologies and patient barriers were encountered throughout. Careful selection of patients who will embrace this technology is important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Saadeh
- Pharmacy Practice, Ferris State University School of Pharmacy, Big Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Maja Hill
- General Hospital/Department of Pharmacy, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Samuel Snowaert
- Cowell Family Cancer Center, Munson Healthcare Inc, Traverse City, MI, USA
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Gleason KT, Wu MMJ, Wec A, Powell DS, Zhang T, Gamper MJ, Green AR, Nothelle S, Amjad H, Wolff JL. Use of the patient portal among older adults with diagnosed dementia and their care partners. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:5663-5671. [PMID: 37354066 PMCID: PMC10808947 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Care partners are at the forefront of dementia care, yet little is known about patient portal use in the context of dementia diagnosis. METHODS We conducted an observational cohort study of date/time-stamped patient portal use for a 5-year period (October 3, 2017-October 2, 2022) at an academic health system. The cohort consisted of 3170 patients ages 65+ with diagnosed dementia with 2+ visits within 24 months. Message authorship was determined by manual review of 970 threads involving 3065 messages for 279 patients. RESULTS Most (71.20%) older adults with diagnosed dementia were registered portal users but far fewer (10.41%) had a registered care partner with shared access. Care partners authored most (612/970, 63.09%) message threads, overwhelmingly using patient identity credentials (271/279, 97.13%). DISCUSSION The patient portal is used by persons with dementia and their care partners. Organizational efforts that facilitate shared access may benefit the support of persons with dementia and their care partners. Highlights Patient portal registration and use has been increasing among persons with diagnosed dementia. Two thirds of secure messages from portal accounts of patients with diagnosed dementia were identified as being authored by care partners, primarily using patient login credentials. Care partners who accessed the patient portal using their own identity credentials through shared access demonstrate similar levels of activity to patients without dementia. Organizational initiatives should recognize and support the needs of persons with dementia and their care partners by encouraging awareness, registration, and use of proper identity credentials, including shared, or proxy, portal access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly T. Gleason
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mingche M. J. Wu
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Aleksandra Wec
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Danielle S. Powell
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Talan Zhang
- Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mary Jo Gamper
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ariel R. Green
- Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephanie Nothelle
- Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Halima Amjad
- Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Wolff
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Zoorob D, Hasbini Y. Older Patient Receptivity to the Integration of Patient Portals and Telehealth in Urogynecology: Promoters and Deterrents. Urogynecology (Phila) 2023; 29:923-929. [PMID: 37097215 DOI: 10.1097/spv.0000000000001359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Limited studies focus on the integration of online portals, including telehealth services, in urogynecology while identifying promoters and deterrents of utilization, especially for the older population. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify facilitators, concerns, technical or personal issues encountered, and the desired features of the online patient portals among older urogynecology patients. STUDY DESIGN This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study of older patients (≥65 years). The survey was devised using 2 focus groups with questions addressing older patient practicality and comfort with virtual visits for menopause and urogynecology-specific conditions. RESULTS A total of 205 patients completed the study. Promoters of use included health care professional encouragement, enrollment on site with concurrent education, and clarification of relevance of the virtual care to one's care. Patients who were uncomfortable with portal use reported anxiety and technical issues as deterrents for using such technology. More than half of the patients were comfortable having online visits for preoperative (51.7%), postoperative (66.3%), and medical management (73.7%). Up to 60.5% of the patients believed that virtual visits were equally stressful as in-person visits, whereas 24.4% believed that the logistics of in-person visits were the cause of stress. CONCLUSIONS To improve access to care, augment the utilization of online patient portals, and combat ageism, enhancing the older urogynecologic patient's portal experience is vital. Investment in this population's needs includes education of patients, active enrollment, and engagement by health care systems, and addressing technical concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dani Zoorob
- From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Urogynecology, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, LA
| | - Yasmin Hasbini
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toledo, Toledo OH
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Melucci AD, Flodman K, Loria A, Swanson HL, Robinson MK, Hasselberg MJ, Evans L, Temple LK, Fleming FJ. Is there an outcome benefit? Patient engagement technology in addition to the electronic medical record patient portal following elective colorectal surgery. Surg Endosc 2023; 37:9275-9282. [PMID: 37880445 DOI: 10.1007/s00464-023-10478-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient engagement technologies (PET) are an area of growing innovation and investment, but whether PET use in the setting of electronic medical record (EMR) supported patient portals are associated with improved outcomes is unknown. Therefore, we assessed PET and EMR activation among patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery on an enhanced recovery pathway. METHODS We identified adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery between 1/2017 and 7/2021. EMR activations were assessed and patients were considered PET users if they used a proprietary PET application. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with PET use and determine whether the level of engagement (percentage of messages read by the patient) was associated with 30-day outcomes. RESULTS 484 patients (53.5% PET users, 81.6% with an activated EMR patient portal, 30.8% ≥ 70 years of age) were included. PET users were younger, more likely to have their EMR portal activated and had decreased odds of prolonged length of stay [odds ratio (OR) 0.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4-0.8]. Among patients ≥ 70 years, PET users had reduced odds of readmissions (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.9) compared to PET non-users. The most engaged PET users had decreased morbidity (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.8) and readmissions (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.8) compared to the least engaged PET users. CONCLUSION When controlling for EMR activation, patients who use PET, specifically those with higher levels of engagement or aged ≥ 70, have improved outcomes following elective colorectal surgery. Interventions aimed at increasing the adoption of PET among older adults may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa D Melucci
- Surgical Health Outcomes and Research Enterprise (SHORE), Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
- Surgical Health Outcomes & Research Enterprise (SHORE), The University of Rochester Medical Center, Saunders Research Building, Suite 124003, 265 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - Kiersten Flodman
- Surgical Health Outcomes and Research Enterprise (SHORE), Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Anthony Loria
- Surgical Health Outcomes and Research Enterprise (SHORE), Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Holli L Swanson
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Mary K Robinson
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Michael J Hasselberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Lara Evans
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Larissa K Temple
- Surgical Health Outcomes and Research Enterprise (SHORE), Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Fergal J Fleming
- Surgical Health Outcomes and Research Enterprise (SHORE), Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
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Dukhanin V, Wolff JL, Salmi L, Harcourt K, Wachenheim D, Byock I, Gonzales MJ, Niehus D, Parshley M, Reay C, Epstein S, Mohile S, Farrell TW, Supiano MA, Jajodia A, DesRoches CM. Co-Designing an Initiative to Increase Shared Access to Older Adults' Patient Portals: Stakeholder Engagement. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e46146. [PMID: 37991827 PMCID: PMC10701652 DOI: 10.2196/46146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The patient portal is a widely available secure digital platform offered by care delivery organizations that enables patients to communicate electronically with clinicians and manage their care. Many organizations allow patients to authorize family members or friends-"care partners"-to share access to patient portal accounts, thus enabling care partners to receive their own identity credentials. Shared access facilitates trilateral information exchange among patients, clinicians, and care partners; however, uptake and awareness of this functionality are limited. OBJECTIVE We partnered with 3 health care organizations to co-design an initiative that aimed to increase shared access registration and use and that can be implemented using existing patient portals. METHODS In 2020, we undertook a rigorous selection process to identify 3 geographically diverse health care organizations that had engaged medical informatics teams and clinical champions within service delivery lines caring for older adults. We prioritized selecting organizations that serve racially and socioeconomically diverse populations and possess sophisticated reporting capabilities, a stable patient portal platform, a sufficient volume of older adult patients, and active patient and family advisory councils. Along with patients and care partners, clinicians, staff, and other stakeholders, the study team co-designed an initiative to increase the uptake of shared access guided by either an iterative, human-centered design process or rapid assessment procedures of stakeholders' inputs. RESULTS Between February 2020 and April 2022, 73 stakeholder engagements were conducted with patients and care partners, clinicians and clinic staff, medical informatics teams, marketing and communications staff, and administrators, as well as with funders and thought leaders. We collected insights regarding (1) barriers to awareness, registration, and use of shared access; (2) features of consumer-facing educational materials to address identified barriers; (3) features of clinician- and staff-facing materials to address identified barriers; and (4) approaches to fit the initiative into current workflows. Using these inputs iteratively via a human-centered design process, we produced brochures and posters, co-designed organization-specific web pages detailing shared access registration processes, and developed clinician and staff talking points about shared access and staff tip sheets that outline shared access registration steps. Educational materials emphasized the slogan "People remember less than half of what their doctors say," which was selected from 9 candidate alternatives as resonating best with the full range of the initiative's stakeholders. The materials were accompanied by implementation toolkits specifying and reinforcing workflows involving both in-person and telehealth visits. CONCLUSIONS Meaningful and authentic stakeholder engagement allowed our deliberate, iterative, and human-centered co-design aimed at increasing the use of shared access. Our initiative has been launched as a part of a 12-month demonstration that will include quantitative and qualitative analysis of registration and use of shared access. Educational materials are publicly available at Coalition for Care Partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Dukhanin
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer L Wolff
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Liz Salmi
- OpenNotes, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kendall Harcourt
- OpenNotes, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Deborah Wachenheim
- OpenNotes, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ira Byock
- The Institute for Human Caring at Providence, Gardena, CA, United States
| | - Matthew J Gonzales
- The Institute for Human Caring at Providence, Gardena, CA, United States
| | - Doug Niehus
- Providence Medical Group, Portland, OR, United States
| | | | - Caroline Reay
- Providence Medical Group, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Sara Epstein
- The Institute for Human Caring at Providence, Gardena, CA, United States
| | - Supriya Mohile
- Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Timothy W Farrell
- Division of Geriatrics, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and the Center on Aging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Salt Lake City Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Mark A Supiano
- Division of Geriatrics, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and the Center on Aging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Anushka Jajodia
- School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Catherine M DesRoches
- OpenNotes, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Hall A, Devlin S, Won J, Schmitt J, P Ridgway J. Electronic Patient Portal Use Among People Living With HIV. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e47740. [PMID: 37988161 DOI: 10.2196/47740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- André Hall
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Samantha Devlin
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Joshua Won
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jessica Schmitt
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jessica P Ridgway
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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Leuchter RK, Ma S, Bell DS, Hays RD, Vidorreta FJS, Binder SL, Sarkisian CA. Embedding research study recruitment within the patient portal preCheck-in. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2023; 30:2028-2035. [PMID: 37595575 PMCID: PMC10654868 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocad164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patient portals are increasingly used to recruit patients in research studies, but communication response rates remain low without tactics such as financial incentives or manual outreach. We evaluated a new method of study enrollment by embedding a study information sheet and HIPAA authorization form (HAF) into the patient portal preCheck-in (where patients report basic information like allergies). MATERIALS AND METHODS Eligible patients who enrolled received an after-visit patient-reported outcomes survey through the patient portal. No additional recruitment/messaging efforts were made. RESULTS A total of 386 of 843 patients completed preCheck-in, 308 of whom signed the HAF and enrolled in the study (37% enrollment rate). Of 93 patients who were eligible to receive the after-visit survey, 45 completed it (48% completion rate). CONCLUSION Enrollment and survey completion rates were higher than what is typically seen with recruitment by patient portal messaging, suggesting that preCheck-in recruitment can enhance research study recruitment and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K Leuchter
- Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States
| | - Suzette Ma
- UCLA Health Information Technology, UCLA Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Douglas S Bell
- Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Ron D Hays
- Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | | | - Sandra L Binder
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Catherine A Sarkisian
- Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90073, United States
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Hägglund M, Kharko A, Hagström J, Bärkås A, Blease C, Cajander Å, DesRoches C, Fagerlund AJ, Haage B, Huvila I, Hörhammer I, Kane B, Klein GO, Kristiansen E, Luks K, Moll J, Muli I, Raphaug EH, Rexhepi H, Riggare S, Ross P, Scandurra I, Simola S, Soone H, Wang B, Ghorbanian Zolbin M, Åhlfeldt RM, Kujala S, Johansen MA. The NORDeHEALTH 2022 Patient Survey: Cross-Sectional Study of National Patient Portal Users in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e47573. [PMID: 37955963 PMCID: PMC10682922 DOI: 10.2196/47573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although many surveys have been conducted on patients accessing their own health records in recent years, there is a limited amount of nationwide cross-country data available on patients' views and preferences. To address this gap, an international survey of patient users was conducted in the Nordic eHealth project, NORDeHEALTH. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics and experiences of patients who accessed their electronic health records (EHRs) through national patient portals in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. METHODS A cross-sectional web-based survey was distributed using the national online health portals. The target participants were patients who accessed the national patient portals at the start of 2022 and who were aged ≥15 years. The survey included a mixture of close-ended and free-text questions about participant sociodemographics, usability experience, experiences with health care and the EHR, reasons for reading health records online, experience with errors, omissions and offense, opinions about security and privacy, and the usefulness of portal functions. In this paper, we summarized the data on participant demographics, past experience with health care, and the patient portal through descriptive statistics. RESULTS In total, 29,334 users completed the survey, of which 9503 (32.40%) were from Norway, 13,008 (44.35%) from Sweden, 4713 (16.07%) from Finland, and 2104 (7.17%) from Estonia. National samples were comparable according to reported gender, with about two-thirds identifying as women (19,904/29,302, 67.93%). Age distributions were similar across the countries, but Finland had older users while Estonia had younger users. The highest attained education and presence of health care education varied among the national samples. In all 4 countries, patients most commonly rated their health as "fair" (11,279/29,302, 38.48%). In Estonia, participants were more often inclined to rate their health positively, whereas Norway and Sweden had the highest proportion of negative health ratings. Across the whole sample, most patients received some care in the last 2 years (25,318/29,254, 86.55%). Mental health care was more common (6214/29,254, 21.24%) than oncological care (3664/29,254, 12.52%). Overall, most patients had accessed their health record "2 to 9 times" (11,546/29,306, 39.4%), with the most frequent users residing in Sweden, where about one-third of patients accessed it "more than 20 times" (4571/13,008, 35.14%). CONCLUSIONS This is the first large-scale international survey to compare patient users' sociodemographics and experiences with accessing their EHRs. Although the countries are in close geographic proximity and demonstrate similar advancements in giving their residents online records access, patient users in this survey differed. We will continue to investigate patients' experiences and opinions about national patient-accessible EHRs through focused analyses of the national and combined data sets from the NORDeHEALTH 2022 Patient Survey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Hägglund
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Kharko
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Josefin Hagström
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Annika Bärkås
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Charlotte Blease
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Åsa Cajander
- Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Catherine DesRoches
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Barbara Haage
- E-Medicine Centre, Department of Health Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Isto Huvila
- Department of Archives, Libraries & Museums, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Iiris Hörhammer
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Bridget Kane
- Business School, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Gunnar O Klein
- Centre for Empirical Research on Information Systems, School of Business, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Eli Kristiansen
- Norwegian Centre for E-Health Research, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kerli Luks
- E-Medicine Centre, Department of Health Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Jonas Moll
- Centre for Empirical Research on Information Systems, School of Business, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Irene Muli
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eline Hovstad Raphaug
- Norwegian Centre for E-Health Research, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Hanife Rexhepi
- School of Informatics, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Sara Riggare
- Participatory eHealth and Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Medtech Science & Innovation Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peeter Ross
- E-Medicine Centre, Department of Health Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Isabella Scandurra
- Centre for Empirical Research on Information Systems, School of Business, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Saija Simola
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Hedvig Soone
- E-Medicine Centre, Department of Health Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Bo Wang
- Norwegian Centre for E-Health Research, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | | | - Sari Kujala
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Monika Alise Johansen
- Norwegian Centre for E-Health Research, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Telemedicine and E-health Research Group, Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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Richwine C. Progress and Persistent Disparities in Patient Access to Electronic Health Information. JAMA Health Forum 2023; 4:e233883. [PMID: 37948063 PMCID: PMC10638642 DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.3883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Patient access to electronic health information (EHI) available via online medical records and through patient portals has been shown to help individuals make informed health decisions, which are associated with better health outcomes. Objective To assess progress in patient engagement with EHI and to identify racial or ethnic disparities in access to patient portals. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a repeated cross-sectional study using data from the US Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), a nationally representative survey of US adults that tracks individuals' access and use of their health information. Six cycles of HINTS were included (2014, 2017-2020, 2022); data for the disparities analysis came from the 2022 HINTS. Data analyses were performed in April 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures Patient reports of (1) being offered portal access by a health care provider (HCP); (2) being encouraged by the HCP to use the portal; (3) accessing their portal; and (4) using the portal for various purposes. Additional key measures included methods used to access portals and self-reported ease of understanding information contained in the online medical records or portals. Results The total study population included 22 266 individuals (mean [SE] age, 49.9 [0.15] years) of whom 13 348 (54%) were female; 909 (5%) self-identified as Asian, 3523 (12%) as Black, 3178 (14%) as Hispanic, 13 555 (66%) as White, and 785 (3%) as another or more than 1 race. Nationally, patient portal access increased each year from 2014 through 2022, with a 46% increase observed between 2020 (n = 3319) and 2022 (n = 5437). However, in 2022, Black and Hispanic individuals reported being offered access to a portal by their HCP at significantly lower rates compared with White individuals (73% vs 81%; χ21 = 22.24; P < .001; and 62% vs 81%; χ21 = 135.57; P < .001, respectively) as well as accessing a patient portal at lower rates (60% vs 70%; χ21 = 23.80; P < .001; and 57% vs 70%; χ21 = 49.02; P < .001, respectively). Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this repeated cross-sectional study of US adult respondents to the HINTS suggest that access to and engagement with patient portals increased significantly from 2014 through 2022, but racial and ethnic disparities in patient access persisted in 2022. However, there were no significant differences in use or understanding of information available in the online medical records among those who accessed them, which suggests that efforts to promote equitable opportunities to access EHI would likely be associated with increased patient access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Richwine
- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Washington, DC
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