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Wood KE, Pham HT, Carter KD, Nepple KG, Blum JM, Krasowski MD. Impact of a switch to immediate release on the patient viewing of diagnostic test results in an online portal at an academic medical center. J Pathol Inform 2023; 14:100323. [PMID: 37520309 PMCID: PMC10384271 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpi.2023.100323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Patient portals allow patients to access their personal health information. The 21st Century Cures Act in the United States sought to eliminate 'information blocking', requiring timely release upon request of electronic health information including diagnostic test results. Some health systems, including the one in the present study, chose a systematic switch to immediate release of all or nearly all diagnostic test results to patient portals as part of compliance with the Cures Act. Our primary objective was to study changes in the time to view test results by patients before and after implementation of Cures Act-related changes. This retrospective pre-post study included data from two 10-month time periods before and after implementation of Cures Act-related changes at an academic medical center. The study included all patients (adult and pediatric) with diagnostic testing (laboratory and imaging) performed in the outpatient, inpatient, or emergency department settings. Between February 9, 2020 and December 9, 2021, there was a total of 3 809 397 diagnostic tests from 204 605 unique patients (3 320 423 tests for adult patients; 488 974 for pediatric patients). Overall, 56.5% (115 627) of patients were female, 84.1% (172 048) white, and 96.5% (197 517) preferred English as primary language. The odds of viewing test results within 1 and 30 days after portal release increased monthly throughout both time periods before and after the Cures Act for all patients. The rate of increase was significantly higher after implementation only in the subgroup of tests belonging to adult patients with active MyChart accounts. Immediate release shifted a higher proportion of result/report release to weekends (3.2% pre-Cures vs 15.3% post-Cures), although patient viewing patterns by day of week and time of day were similar before and after immediate release changes. The switch to immediate release of diagnostic test results to the patient portal resulted in a higher fraction of results viewed within 1 day across outpatient, inpatient, and emergency department settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E. Wood
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Hanh T. Pham
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Knute D. Carter
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | | | - James M. Blum
- Department of Anesthesia, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Matthew D. Krasowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
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2
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Casacchia NJ, Rosenthal GE, O'Connell NS, Bundy R, Witek L, Wells BJ, Palakshappa D. Characteristics of Adult Primary Care Patients Who Use the Patient Portal: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Appl Clin Inform 2022; 13:1053-1062. [PMID: 36167336 PMCID: PMC9629981 DOI: 10.1055/a-1951-3153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The patient portal allows patients to engage with their health care team beyond the clinical encounter. While portals can improve patient outcomes, there may be disparities in which patients access the portal by sociodemographic factors. Understanding the characteristics of patients who use the portal could help design future interventions to expand portal adoption. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to (1) examine the socioeconomic factors, comorbid conditions, and health care utilization among patients of a large academic primary care network who are users and non-users of the patient portal; and (2) describe the portal functions most frequently utilized. METHODS We included all adult patients at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist who had at least two primary care visits between 2018 and 2019. Patients' demographics, comorbidities, health care utilization, and portal function usage were extracted from the electronic health record and merged with census data (income, education, and unemployment) from the American Community Survey. A myWakeHealth portal user was defined as a patient who used a bidirectional portal function at least once during the study period. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine which patient characteristics were independently associated with being a portal user. RESULTS Of the 178,720 patients who met inclusion criteria, 32% (N = 57,122) were users of myWakeHealth. Compared to non-users, users were more likely to be 18 to 64 years of age, female, non-Hispanic White, married, commercially insured, have higher disease burden, and have lower health care utilization. Patients residing in areas with the highest educational attainment had 51% higher odds of being a portal user than the lowest (p <0.001). Among portal users, the most commonly used function was messaging clinic providers. CONCLUSION We found that patient demographics and area socioeconomic factors were associated with patient portal adoption. These findings suggest that efforts to improve portal adoption should be targeted at vulnerable patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Casacchia
- Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Gary E. Rosenthal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Nathaniel S. O'Connell
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Richa Bundy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Lauren Witek
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Brian J. Wells
- Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Deepak Palakshappa
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
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3
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Root A, Connolly C, Majors S, Ahmed H, Toma M. OUP accepted manuscript. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2022; 29:1381-1390. [PMID: 35582891 PMCID: PMC9277631 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocac069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Recent technological development along with the constraints imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have led to increased availability of patient-generated health data. However, it is not well understood how to effectively integrate this new technology into large health systems. This article seeks to identify interventions to increase utilization of electronic blood glucose monitoring for patients with diabetes. Materials and Methods A large randomized controlled trial tested the impact of multiple interventions to promote use of electronic blood glucose tracking. The total study sample consisted of 7052 patients with diabetes across 68 providers at 20 selected primary care offices. The design included 2 stages: First, primary care practices were randomly assigned to have their providers receive education regarding blood glucose flowsheet orders. Then, patients in the treated practices were assigned to 1 of 4 reminder interventions. Results Provider education successfully increased provider take-up of an online blood glucose monitoring tool by 64 percentage points, while a comparison of reminder interventions revealed that emphasizing accountability to the provider encouraged patients to track their blood glucose online. An assessment of downstream outcomes revealed impacts of the interventions on prescribing behavior and A1c testing frequency. Discussion It is important to understand how health systems can practically promote take-up and awareness of emerging digital health alternatives or those with persistently low utilization in clinical settings. Conclusion These results indicate that provider training and support are critical first steps to promote utilization of patient-generated health data, and that patient communications can provide further motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hassan Ahmed
- Inova Health System, Falls Church, Virginia, USA
| | - Mattie Toma
- Corresponding Author: Mattie Toma, 1800 F Street NW, Washington, DC, USA;
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4
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Lacambra VW. Developing and Implementing a Tablet-Based Health Information Technology Tool Training Program. Comput Inform Nurs 2021; 39:464-469. [PMID: 34495007 DOI: 10.1097/cin.0000000000000826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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5
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Halbert CH, Jefferson M, Allen CG, Babatunde OA, Drake R, Angel P, Savage SJ, Frey L, Lilly M, Obi T, Obeid J. Racial Differences in Patient Portal Activation and Research Enrollment Among Patients With Prostate Cancer. JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2021; 5:768-774. [PMID: 34328797 PMCID: PMC8812608 DOI: 10.1200/cci.20.00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine racial differences in patient portal activation and research participation among patients with prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Participants were African American and White patients with prostate cancer who were treated with radical prostatectomy (n = 218). Patient portal activation was determined using electronic health records, and research participation was measured based on completion of a social determinants survey. RESULTS Thirty-one percent of patients completed the social determinants survey and enrolled in the study and 66% activated a patient portal. The likelihood of enrolling in the study was reduced with greater levels of social deprivation (odds ratio [OR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.98; P = .04). Social deprivation also had a signification independent association with patient portal activation along with racial background. African American patients (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.91; P = .02) and those with greater social deprivation (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.82; P = .002) had a lower likelihood of activating a patient portal compared with White patients and those with lower social deprivation. CONCLUSION Although the majority of patients with prostate cancer activated their patient portal, rates of patient portal activation were lower among African American patients and those who lived in areas with greater social deprivation. Greater efforts are needed to promote patient portal activation among African American patients with prostate cancer and address access to health information technology among those who live in socially disadvantaged geographic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanita Hughes Halbert
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.,Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Melanie Jefferson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Caitlin G Allen
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education; Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Oluwole A Babatunde
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Richard Drake
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.,Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Peggi Angel
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.,Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Stephen J Savage
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.,Department of Urology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Lewis Frey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Biomedical Informatics Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Michael Lilly
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.,Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Ted Obi
- Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Jihad Obeid
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Biomedical Informatics Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
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6
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Fuchs JR, Fuchs JW, Tietz SE, Lum HD. Older adults with limited English proficiency need equitable COVID-19 vaccine access. J Am Geriatr Soc 2021; 69:888-891. [PMID: 33555042 PMCID: PMC8013806 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R. Fuchs
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Jeffrey W. Fuchs
- Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Sarah E. Tietz
- Division of GeriatricsUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Hillary D. Lum
- Division of GeriatricsUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraColoradoUSA
- VA Eastern Colorado Geriatric ResearchEducation and Clinical CenterAuroraColoradoUSA
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7
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Beal LL, Kolman JM, Jones SL, Khleif A, Menser T. Quantifying Patient Portal Use: Systematic Review of Utilization Metrics. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e23493. [PMID: 33629962 PMCID: PMC7952240 DOI: 10.2196/23493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Use of patient portals has been associated with positive outcomes in patient engagement and satisfaction. Portal studies have also connected portal use, as well as the nature of users' interactions with portals, and the contents of their generated data to meaningful cost and quality outcomes. Incentive programs in the United States have encouraged uptake of health information technology, including patient portals, by setting standards for meaningful use of such technology. However, despite widespread interest in patient portal use and adoption, studies on patient portals differ in actual metrics used to operationalize and track utilization, leading to unsystematic and incommensurable characterizations of use. No known review has systematically assessed the measurements used to investigate patient portal utilization. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to apply systematic review criteria to identify and compare methods for quantifying and reporting patient portal use. METHODS Original studies with quantifiable metrics of portal use published in English between 2014 and the search date of October 17, 2018, were obtained from PubMed using the Medical Subject Heading term "Patient Portals" and related keyword searches. The first search round included full text review of all results to confirm a priori data charting elements of interest and suggest additional categories inductively; this round was supplemented by the retrieval of works cited in systematic reviews (based on title screening of all citations). An additional search round included broader keywords identified during the full-text review of the first round. Second round results were screened at abstract level for inclusion and confirmed by at least two raters. Included studies were analyzed for metrics related to basic use/adoption, frequency of use, duration metrics, intensity of use, and stratification of users into "super user" or high utilizers. Additional categories related to provider (including care team/administrative) use of the portal were identified inductively. Additional analyses included metrics aligned with meaningful use stage 2 (MU-2) categories employed by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the association between the number of portal metrics examined and the number of citations and the journal impact factor. RESULTS Of 315 distinct search results, 87 met the inclusion criteria. Of the a priori metrics, plus provider use, most studies included either three (26 studies, 30%) or four (23 studies, 26%) metrics. Nine studies (10%) only reported the patient use/adoption metric and only one study (1%) reported all six metrics. Of the US-based studies (n=76), 18 (24%) were explicitly motivated by MU-2 compliance; 40 studies (53%) at least mentioned these incentives, but only 6 studies (8%) presented metrics from which compliance rates could be inferred. Finally, the number of metrics examined was not associated with either the number of citations or the publishing journal's impact factor. CONCLUSIONS Portal utilization measures in the research literature can fall below established standards for "meaningful" or they can substantively exceed those standards in the type and number of utilization properties measured. Understanding how patient portal use has been defined and operationalized may encourage more consistent, well-defined, and perhaps more meaningful standards for utilization, informing future portal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren L Beal
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.,University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jacob M Kolman
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Stephen L Jones
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Aroub Khleif
- Ambulatory Clinical Systems, Information Technology Division, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Terri Menser
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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8
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Jackman KMP, Hightow-Weidman L, Poteat T, Wirtz AL, Kane JC, Baral SD. Evaluating psychometric determinants of willingness to adopt sexual health patient portal services among black college students: A mixed-methods approach. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2021; 69:190-197. [PMID: 31710578 PMCID: PMC7211543 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2019.1660352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: To describe, using mixed-methods, perceptions of access to sexually transmitted infection test results via electronic personal health record (PHR) and correlates of willingness to adopt its use. Participants: Students at a mid-Atlantic historically black college. Methods: Focus-groups and interviews were conducted to explore themes on sexual health-related PHR-use (N = 35). Codes were operationalized into survey measures assessing beliefs in a cross-sectional sample (N = 354). Exploratory factor analysis identified latent factors among survey items. Multiple logistic regression models measured correlates of adoption willingness. Results: Three qualitative themes emerged on relative advantages, barriers, and functionality of PHRs. 57.6% of survey participants were willing to use PHRs for sexual health services. Reliable latent factors, centering on PHR convenience and functionality, were positively associated with adoption willingness. Conclusions: Data highlights interest among black college-age youth in adopting PHRs for comprehensive sexual health-related services. Adoption may be boosted with tailored designs responsive to expressed service needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevon-Mark P Jackman
- Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lisa Hightow-Weidman
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tonia Poteat
- Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrea L Wirtz
- Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeremy C Kane
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Stefan D Baral
- Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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9
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Lyles CR, Nelson EC, Frampton S, Dykes PC, Cemballi AG, Sarkar U. Using Electronic Health Record Portals to Improve Patient Engagement: Research Priorities and Best Practices. Ann Intern Med 2020; 172:S123-S129. [PMID: 32479176 PMCID: PMC7800164 DOI: 10.7326/m19-0876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ninety percent of health care systems now offer patient portals to access electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States, but only 15% to 30% of patients use these platforms. Using PubMed, the authors identified 53 studies published from September 2013 to June 2019 that informed best practices and priorities for future research on patient engagement with EHR data through patient portals, These studies mostly involved outpatient settings and fell into 3 major categories: interventions to increase use of patient portals, usability testing of portal interfaces, and documentation of patient and clinician barriers to portal use. Interventions that used one-on-one patient training were associated with the highest portal use. Patients with limited health or digital literacy faced challenges to portal use. Clinicians reported a lack of workflows to support patient use of portals in routine practice. These studies suggest that achieving higher rates of patient engagement through EHR portals will require paying more attention to the needs of diverse patients and systematically measuring usability as well as scope of content. Future work should incorporate implementation science approaches and directly address the key role of clinicians and staff in promoting portal use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney R Lyles
- UCSF Department of Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, California (C.R.L., A.G.C., U.S.)
| | - Eugene C Nelson
- Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire (E.C.N.)
| | | | - Patricia C Dykes
- Center for Patient Safety, Research, and Practice, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (P.C.D.)
| | - Anupama G Cemballi
- UCSF Department of Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, California (C.R.L., A.G.C., U.S.)
| | - Urmimala Sarkar
- UCSF Department of Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, California (C.R.L., A.G.C., U.S.)
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Hoonakker PLT, Rankin RJ, Passini JC, Bunton JA, Ehlenfeldt BD, Dean SM, Thurber AS, Kelly MM. Nurses' Expectations of an Inpatient Portal for Hospitalized Patients and Caregivers. Appl Clin Inform 2019; 10:625-633. [PMID: 31461753 DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1694750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient portals are intended to engage patients and enhance patient-centered care. Recent studies suggest that the information within portals could provide benefits to patients and their caregivers during hospitalization; however, few studies have examined nurse and staff expectations of portals when used in the hospital setting. OBJECTIVE This article examines inpatient nurse and support staff expectations of a commercially available inpatient portal prior to its hospital-wide implementation. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, nurses and support staff were surveyed 1 month prior to the implementation of an inpatient portal for patients. Items included respondent characteristics, satisfaction with online inpatient portal training, expectations of the effects of portal use on patients, caregivers, and staff, overall acceptance, and barriers to its implementation. RESULTS Of 881 respondents, 73.0% were staff nurses, 18.4% nurse assistants, 4.3% unit coordinators, and 1.2% nurse managers. Respondents were generally satisfied with the portal information they received from online training. A majority liked the portal to some extent prior to its use (66.7%); however, they noted multiple implementation barriers, including: tablets would get lost/damaged (66.2% of respondents), patients and/or caregivers would have too many questions (48.5%), and staff would have problems integrating it into their workflow (44.7%). Respondents working on medical units had higher expectations (p < 0.001) and acceptance (p < 0.01) of the portal than those on surgical and intensive care units. Nurse managers were more positive than respondents with other job roles were (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Overall, nurse and support staff had high expectations of the effects of inpatient portal use prior to its hospital-wide implementation. They thought it would benefit patients and/or their caregivers; however, they also perceived several barriers to its implementation. These results will be used in conjunction with patient and caregiver perspectives to inform future efforts to evaluate and improve upon inpatient portal implementation and dissemination across health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter L T Hoonakker
- Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Rebecca J Rankin
- Department of Nursing, Nursing Informatics, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Jennifer C Passini
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Jenny A Bunton
- Department of Health Information Services, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Bradley D Ehlenfeldt
- Department of Health Information Services, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Shannon M Dean
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Anne S Thurber
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Michelle M Kelly
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
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11
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Foster B, Krasowski MD. The Use of an Electronic Health Record Patient Portal to Access Diagnostic Test Results by Emergency Patients at an Academic Medical Center: Retrospective Study. J Med Internet Res 2019; 21:e13791. [PMID: 31254335 PMCID: PMC6625217 DOI: 10.2196/13791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electronic health record (EHR) patient portals provide a means by which patients can access their health information, including diagnostic test results. Little is known about portal usage by emergency department (ED) patients. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to assess patient portal utilization by ED patients at an academic medical center using account activation rates along with the rates of access of diagnostic test results (laboratory results and radiology reports), analyzing the impact of age, gender, and self-reported patient race. METHODS This institutional review board-approved retrospective study was performed at a 60,000-visits-per-year university-based ED. We utilized EHR data reporting tools to examine EHR portal activation and utilization for all patients who had at least one ED encounter with one or more diagnostic tests performed between October 1, 2016, and October 1, 2017. The total dataset for laboratory testing included 208,635 laboratory tests on 25,361 unique patients, of which 9482 (37.39%) had active portal accounts. The total dataset for radiologic imaging included 23,504 radiology studies on 14,455 unique patients, of which 5439 (37.63%) had an active portal account. RESULTS Overall, 8.90% (18,573/208,635) of laboratory tests and 8.97% (2019/22,504) of radiology reports ordered in the ED were viewed in the patient portal. The highest rates of viewing of laboratory and radiology results were seen for those who were female, were aged 0 to 11 years (parent or guardian viewing by proxy) and 18 to 60 years, and self-reported their race as Caucasian or Asian. The lowest rates were for those who were teenagers, aged older than 81 years, African American/black, and Hispanic/Latino. Infectious disease, urinalysis, and pregnancy testing constituted the highest number of laboratory tests viewed. Magnetic resonance imaging reports were viewed at higher rates than computed tomography or x-ray studies (P<.001). Approximately half of all the diagnostic test results accessed by patients were reviewed within 72 hours of availability in the patient portal (laboratory results: 9904/18,573, 53.32% and radiology reports: 971/2019, 48.1%). On the other extreme, 19.9% (3701/18,573) of laboratory results and 31.6% (639/2019) of radiology reports were viewed more than 2 weeks after availability in the portal. CONCLUSIONS The data highlight the relatively low use of a patient portal by ED patients and existing disparities between patient groups. There can be wide lag time (months) between result/report availability and access by patients. Opportunities for improvement exist for both activation and more robust utilization of patient portals by ED patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brody Foster
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Matthew David Krasowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, United States
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12
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Abd-alrazaq AA, Bewick BM, Farragher T, Gardner P. Factors that affect the use of electronic personal health records among patients: A systematic review. Int J Med Inform 2019; 126:164-175. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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13
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Powell KR, Alexander GL, Madsen R, Deroche C. A National Assessment of Access to Technology Among Nursing Home Residents: A Secondary Analysis. JMIR Aging 2019; 2:e11449. [PMID: 31518285 PMCID: PMC6714997 DOI: 10.2196/11449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there are over 1.7 million nursing home residents in the United States. Nursing home residents and their family members have unique needs and stand to benefit from using technology empowering them to be more informed and engaged health care consumers. Although there is growing evidence for benefits of patient-facing technologies like electronic patient portals on patient engagement in acute and outpatient settings, little is known about use of this technology in nursing homes. Objective The purpose of this study was to report findings from a secondary analysis of data from a national nursing home study of information technology (IT) adoption, called IT sophistication. We describe the extent to which nursing homes (n=815) allow residents or their representatives to access technology including electronic health records, patient portals, and health information-exchange systems as well as the ability of the residents or representatives to self-report data directly into the electronic health record. Methods We used descriptive statistics and regression techniques to explore relationships between information technology adoption (IT sophistication) and residents’ or their representatives’ access to technology. Covariates of location, bed size, and ownership were added to the model to understand their potential influence on the relationship between IT sophistication and resident access to technology. Results Findings revealed that resident access to technology was a significant predictor of the nursing home IT sophistication (P<.001). The inclusion of covariates—nursing home location, bed size, and ownership—with their interactions produced a nonsignificant effect in the model. Residents’ or their representatives’ use of electronic health records and personal health records were both significant predictors of overall IT sophistication (P<.001). Conclusions As nursing homes continue to progress in technological capabilities, it is important to understand how increasing IT sophistication can be leveraged to create opportunities to engage residents in their care. Understanding the impact of health information technology on outcomes and which technologies make a difference will help nursing home administrators make more informed decisions about adoption and implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Ryan Powell
- College of Nursing, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States.,Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Gregory Lynn Alexander
- Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Richard Madsen
- Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Chelsea Deroche
- Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO, United States
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Oest SER, Hightower M, Krasowski MD. Activation and Utilization of an Electronic Health Record Patient Portal at an Academic Medical Center-Impact of Patient Demographics and Geographic Location. Acad Pathol 2018; 5:2374289518797573. [PMID: 30302394 PMCID: PMC6172938 DOI: 10.1177/2374289518797573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of the online electronic health record patient portal has provided an efficient and practical means for patients to become more involved in their health care. In this report, we analyze how demographic variables such as age, gender, race, and geographic location affect patient portal activation and usage at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the sole academic medical center in the state of Iowa, a predominantly rural state. Our primary end points were activation of the patient portal (MyChart, Epic, Inc) and access of outpatient laboratory and radiology results, among the most commonly accessed and popular features of the patient portal. We thus analyzed data from 536 378 patients to determine rates of patient portal activation and data from 219 671 patient encounters to determine the frequency at which patients access their online diagnostic test results. Higher rates of patient portal activation and usage were associated with female gender, Caucasians/non-underrepresented minorities, geographic location in closer proximity to the medical center (Iowa City and neighboring cities/suburbs), and nonelderly adults. For underrepresented minority and rural patients, opportunities for improvement exist for both activation and more robust use of online patient portal accounts. Overall, these data highlight existing disparities with online patient portal usage and provide a base on which further studies and interventions can help to improve utilization of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. R. Oest
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, IA, USA
| | - Maia Hightower
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Health Care Information Systems, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Matthew D. Krasowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
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