scholarly journals Viewpoint: Health literacy and patient portals

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulong Gu ◽  
Martin Orr ◽  
Jim Warren
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Health Consumer ◽  
Improve Patient

Health literacy has been described as the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Improving health literacy may serve to promote concordance with therapy, engage patients in their own health care, and improve health outcomes. Patient portal technology aims at enabling patients and families to have easy access to key information in their own medical records and to communicate with their health care providers electronically. However, there is a gap in our understanding of how portals will improve patient outcome. The authors believe patient portal technology presents an opportunity to improve patient concordance with prescribed therapy, if adequate support is provided to equip patients (and family/carers) with the knowledge needed to utilise the health information available via the portals. Research is needed to understand what a health consumer will use patient portals for and how to support a user to realise the technology?s potential.

scholarly journals Patient portals and personal health information online: perception, access, and use by US adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (e1) ◽  
pp. e173-e177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Peacock ◽  
Ashok Reddy ◽  
Suzanne G Leveille ◽  
Jan Walker ◽  
Thomas H Payne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Personal Health Information ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
The Past ◽  
Patient Race

Background: Access to online patient portals is key to improving care, but we have limited understanding of patient perceptions of online portals and the characteristics of people who use them. Methods: Using a national survey of 3677 respondents, we describe perceptions and utilization of online personal health information (PHI) portals. Results: Most respondents (92%) considered online PHI access important, yet only 34% were offered access to online PHI by a health care provider, and just 28% accessed online PHI in the past year. While there were no differences across race or ethnicity in importance of access, black and Hispanic respondents were significantly less likely to be offered access (P = .006 and <.001, respectively) and less likely to access their online PHI (P = .041 and <.001, respectively) compared to white and non-Hispanic respondents. Conclusion: Health care providers are crucial to the adoption and use of online patient portals and should be encouraged to offer consistent access regardless of patient race and ethnicity.

Health Literacy and Health/Risk Communication

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mackert ◽  
Sara Champlin ◽  
Jisoo Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers

Health literacy—defined as the ability of an individual to obtain, process, understand, and communicate about health information—contributes significantly to health outcomes and costs to the U.S. health-care system. Approximately one-quarter to one-half of U.S. adults struggle with health information, which includes understanding patient education materials, reading medication labels, and communicating with health-care providers. Low health literacy is more common among the elderly, those who speak English as a second language, and those of lower socioeconomic status. In addition to conceptualizing health literacy as an individual-level skill, it can also be considered an organizational or community-level ability. Increased attention to the field of health literacy has resulted in debates about the definition and the best ways to assess health literacy; there is also a strong and growing movement within the field of health literacy research and practice to frame health literacy less as a deficit to overcome and more as an approach to empowering patients and improving outcomes. As health-care providers have recognized the importance of health literacy, workshops, and training programs have been developed and evaluated to improve the care of low-health-literate patients. Similarly, health promotion professionals have developed best practices for reaching low-health-literate audiences with traditional and new digital media, which can also increase access for patients with hearing or visual impairments. Additionally, recent policy changes in the United States, including those related to the Affordable Care Act, contribute to a greater focus and regulation of factors that impact health literacy. Researchers and practitioners together are advancing understanding of health literacy, its relationship to health outcomes and health-care costs, and improved strategies for improving the health of lower health literate patients. Development and review of health literacy pieces can aid in shared decision making and provide insights for patients on various health-care services.

Development of health literacy in persons and caregivers living with dementia: A qualitative directed content analysis

Dementia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 147130122110496
Author(s):  
Michelle Kimzey ◽  
Carol J. Howe ◽  
Chelsea Martin ◽  
Jim McLarty ◽  
Ramona Baucham
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Medication Management ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Directed Content Analysis

Background Persons living with dementia and their caregivers need health information to understand and manage daily life. Previous studies focused on the associations of health literacy and cognitive impairment with less exploring if and how individuals develop health literacy during the course of the disease. Purpose This descriptive qualitative study aimed to explore the development of health literacy competencies among persons living with dementia and their caregivers. Methods Directed content analysis of six focus groups conducted in the community setting (15 persons living with dementia and 28 caregivers) was completed, using predetermined categories from the Integrated Model of Health Literacy: access, understand, appraise, and apply health information. Findings Participants described developing health literacy competencies over time, moving from a dependence on health care providers to becoming their own experts. Although health care providers were involved in the diagnosis and medication management, most participants admitted that they provided very little information on how to manage their daily life with dementia and often failed to inform them of community resources. Conclusion Participants seemed to find dementia resources on their own for both education and support, often stumbling upon them by accident. Health care providers should promote the health literacy competencies of their patients and caregivers by more intentionally providing dementia health and community resource information.

scholarly journals Health literacy levels of British adults: a cross-sectional survey using two domains of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ)

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Simpson ◽  
Emma Knowles ◽  
Alicia O’Cathain
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Literacy Questionnaire

Abstract Background A person’s health literacy determines whether they are able to make appropriate health decisions and are able to follow treatment instructions. This is important because low health literacy is associated with mortality and extra costs to the healthcare system. Our aim was to describe the health literacy levels of British adults using a nationally representative population survey, and show how health literacy levels vary by population characteristics. Methods A population based cross-sectional survey including questions from two domains from the Health Literacy Questionnaire™: 1) Understanding health information well enough to know what to do, and 2) Ability to actively engage with health care providers. Both domains are made up of 5 Likert style questions with 5 levels ranging from ‘cannot do or always difficult’ (1) to ‘always easy’ (5). The survey was conducted by NatCen in Britain (2018) as part of the annual British Social Attitudes survey. We used weighted descriptive analyses and regression to explore the relationship between population characteristics and health literacy. Weighted analyses were used to ensure the sample was representative of the British population. Results A total of 2309 responded to the questionnaire. The mean score for ‘understanding information’ was 3.98 (95% CI: 3.94, 4.02) and for ‘ability to engage’ was 3.83 (95% CI: 3.80, 3.87), where 5 is the highest score. 19.4% had some level of difficulty reading and understanding written health information, and 23.2% discussing health concerns with health care providers. The adjusted logistic regression for ‘understanding information’ showed that those with lower health literacy were more likely to be in the most socially deprived quintile (OR 2.500 95% CI: 1.180, 5.296), have a limiting health condition or disability (OR 4.326 95% CI: 2.494, 7.704), and have no educational qualifications (OR 7.588 95% CI: 3.305, 17.422). This was similar for the ‘ability to engage’ domain. Conclusions This study described the distribution of health literacy levels for the British population in 2018. Interventions to improve health literacy will best be targeted at those with lower levels of education, those living in the most deprived areas, and those with a limiting health condition or disability.

The Future of Oncology Care with Personal Health Records

2012 ◽  
pp. e66-e69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Feldman ◽  
Elizabeth S. Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Personal Health Records ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Improve Patient

Overview: Personal health records (PHRs) and patients' access to their own clinical information through a patient portal are changing the patient-physician relationship. Historically, health care providers have been gatekeepers of patients' medical records. Now, these portals provide patients access to clinical information, electronic messaging with the clinical team, and appointment and billing information. This type of access supports patient empowerment by engaging patients in their own care. Patients desire online access to information. The health care industry, like any other, must respond to the needs of its consumers. Oncology practices face unique challenges to meeting this need because of the complex nature of medical records of patients with cancer. Health care providers worry about the consequences of patients receiving “bad news” online, thereby increasing patient anxiety. This anxiety may, in turn, increase providers' workload by creating additional calls or visits to the office. These valid concerns require careful consideration when implementing a PHR or patient portal into a practice. Providers will benefit from a clear understanding of actual compared with potential risks and benefits. Much of the concerns about the negative effect on providers' workload and the potential increase in patients' anxiety have not been borne out. On the other hand, the implementation strategy, governance structure, and end-user education are crucial components to ensuring success. Successful implementation of a PHR or patient portal affords the opportunity to improve patient satisfaction and increase efficiency in provider workflow. The possibility exists to improve patient outcomes by engaging the patient in decision making and follow through.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Portal Usage Among Chronically Ill Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Netherlands: Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingxia Kong ◽  
Danique Riedewald ◽  
Marjan Askari
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Willingness To Recommend

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the capacity of the regular health care system, which is reflected in limited access to nonurgent care for patients who are chronically ill in the Dutch health care system. Nevertheless, many of them still depend on health care assistance to manage their illnesses. Patient portals are used to provide continued health care (remotely) and offer self-management tools during COVID-19 and potentially after. However, little is known about the factors influencing portal use and users’ satisfaction among patients who are chronically ill during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine predictors of patient portal use among patients who are chronically ill, the willingness to recommend the portal to others, and the likelihood of future use among portal nonusers. METHODS An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed among patients who are chronically ill via social media in May 2020. The questionnaire consisted of four parts: (1) demographics including age and hours of daily internet use; (2) physical health status including COVID-19 infection, perceived level of control, and hospital visits; (3) mental health status including depression and life satisfaction; and (4) portal use including response waiting time and awareness. Descriptive, correlation, univariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors that affect portal use, users’ willingness to recommend, and nonusers’ likelihood of future portal use. RESULTS A total of 652 patients responded, and 461 valid questionnaires were included. Among the 461 patients, 67% (n=307) were identified as patient portal users. Of the nonusers, 55% (85/154) reported not being aware of the existence of a patient portal at their hospital. Significant predictors of portal use include level of control (<i>P</i>=.04), hospital visit time (<i>P</i>=.03), depression scale (<i>P</i>=.03), and status of life satisfaction (<i>P</i>=.02). Among portal users, waiting time to get a response via the portal (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) and maximum acceptable waiting time (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) were the strongest predictors for willingness to recommend the portal; among nonusers, the model predicted that those who were not aware of patient portals (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) and were willing to wait moderately long (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) were most likely to use the portal in the future. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insights into factors that influence portal use and willingness to recommend, based on which health care providers can improve the adoption of patient portals and their services. It suggests that health care providers should leverage efficient operations management to improve responsiveness and reduce waiting time to enhance user satisfaction and willingness to recommend use. Health care organizations need to increase portal awareness among nonusers and train their patients to increase both use and longer adoption of patient portals. Factors including depression and life satisfaction can influence portal use; therefore, future studies on determinants of portal use and nonuse in this specific population are needed.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Patient Portal Use Among Low-Income Pregnant Women: Mixed-Methods Pilot Study (Preprint)

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhee Kim ◽  
Holly Mathews ◽  
Lindsay M Cortright ◽  
Xiaoming Zeng ◽  
Edward Newton
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Prenatal Health

BACKGROUND Patient portals offer patients personalized and secure Web access to their medical information and enable patients to manage their health care online. However, there is a lack of information about patient acceptance and use of patient portals among low-income pregnant women. OBJECTIVE This formative research aims to assess the potential of a patient portal, MyChart, for improving prenatal health care and pregnancy outcomes, and identify the barriers and facilitators of MyChart use among low-income pregnant women. METHODS A mixed-methods study was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 low-income pregnant women comprising low- and high-risk patients enrolled in a prenatal clinic in eastern North Carolina. MyChart use, patient demographics, and pregnancy information were collected by reviewing electronic medical charts. Health literacy was measured. Reported use and attitudes toward MyChart were collected using a semi-structured interview. RESULTS Although 39% (7/18) of participants interviewed signed up for MyChart, only 22% (4/18) of them became active users. Another 33% (6/18) had never heard of MyChart or was unsure of how to access it. Users primarily accessed test results and appointment schedules. The main facilitating factors for patient portal use were information and motivation from health care providers and concerns about pregnancy due to a history of miscarriage. Reported barriers were lack of educational resources, lack of care provider encouragement, and technical difficulties possibly exacerbated by low health literacy. Participants also suggested improvements for MyChart, especially the provision of discussion-based support for pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS The one-time verbal introduction of MyChart does not meet current patients’ needs. Data reveal the need for more consistent patient education and support programs, tailored to patients’ previous pregnancy histories. The clinic also needs to facilitate better provider-patient communication about the importance of MyChart use.

scholarly journals Participants’ views and experiences from setting up a shared patient portal for primary and specialist health services- a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Torunn Hatlen Nøst ◽  
Arild Faxvaag ◽  
Aslak Steinsbekk
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Patient Involvement ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Patient Portals

Abstract Background Recently, there has been an increasing focus among healthcare organisations on implementing patient portals. Previous studies have mainly focussed on the experiences of patient portal use. Few have investigated the processes of deciding what content and features to make available, in particular for shared portals across healthcare domains. The aim of the study was to investigate views on content and experiences from the configuration process among participants involved in setting up a shared patient portal for primary and specialist health services. Methods A qualitative study including 15 semi-structured interviews with persons participating in patient portal configuration was conducted from October 2019 to June 2020. Results Whether a shared patient portal for all the health services in the region should be established was not questioned by any of the informants. It was experienced as a good thing to have numerous participants present in the discussions on configuration, but it also was said to increase the complexity of the work. The informants considered a patient portal to be of great value for patient care, among other things because it would lead to improvements in patient follow-up and increased patient empowerment. Nevertheless, some informants advocated caution as they thought the patient portal possibly could lead to an increase in healthcare providers’ workloads and to anxiety and worries, as well as to inequality in access to health care among patients. The findings were categorized into the themes ‘A tool for increased patient involvement’, ‘Which information should be available for the patient’, ‘Concerns about increased workload’, ‘Too complex to use versus not interesting enough’, ‘Involving all services’ and ‘Patient involvement’. Conclusions Establishing a shared patient portal for primary and specialist health services was considered unproblematic. There was, however, variation in opinions on which content and features to include. This variation was related to concerns about increasing the workload for health care providers, causing anxiety and inequality among patients, and ensuring that the solution would be interesting enough to adopt.

Patients' Perceptions of Different Information Exchange Mechanisms: An Exploratory Study in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (04/05) ◽  
pp. 162-178
Author(s):  
Pouyan Esmaeilzadeh
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
The United States ◽  
Exchange Mechanism ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Security Risks ◽  
Direct Exchange

Abstract Background Patients may seek health care services from various providers during treatment. These providers could serve in a network (affiliated) or practice separately (unaffiliated). Thus, using secure and reliable health information exchange (HIE) mechanisms would be critical to transfer sensitive personal health information (PHI) across distances. Studying patients' perceptions and opinions about exchange mechanisms could help health care providers build more complete HIEs' databases and develop robust privacy policies, consent processes, and patient education programs. Objectives Due to the exploratory nature of this study, we aim to shed more light on public perspectives (benefits, concerns, and risks) associated with the four data exchange practices in the health care sector. Methods In this study, we compared public perceptions and expectations regarding four common types of exchange mechanisms used in the United States (i.e., traditional, direct, query-based, patient-mediated exchange mechanisms). Traditional is an exchange through fax, paper mailing, or phone calls, direct is a provider-to-provider exchange, query-based is sharing patient data with a central repository, and patient-mediated is an exchange mechanism in which patients can access data and monitor sharing. Data were collected from 1,624 subjects using an online survey to examine the benefits, risks, and concerns associated with the four exchange mechanisms from patients' perspectives. Results Findings indicate that several concerns and risks such as privacy concerns, security risks, trust issues, and psychological risks are raised. Besides, multiple benefits such as access to complete information, communication improvement, timely and convenient information sharing, cost-saving, and medical error reduction are highlighted by respondents. Through consideration of all risks and benefits associated with the four exchange mechanisms, the direct HIE mechanism was selected by respondents as the most preferred mechanism of information exchange among providers. More than half of the respondents (56.18%) stated that overall they favored direct exchange over the other mechanisms. 42.70% of respondents expected to be more likely to share their PHI with health care providers who implemented and utilized a direct exchange mechanism. 43.26% of respondents believed that they would support health care providers to leverage a direct HIE mechanism for sharing their PHI with other providers. The results exhibit that individuals expect greater benefits and fewer adverse effects from direct HIE among health care providers. Overall, the general public sentiment is more in favor of direct data transfer. Our results highlight that greater public trust in exchange mechanisms is required, and information privacy and security risks must be addressed before the widespread implementation of such mechanisms. Conclusion This exploratory study's findings could be interesting for health care providers and HIE policymakers to analyze how consumers perceive the current exchange mechanisms, what concerns should be addressed, and how the exchange mechanisms could be modified to meet consumers' needs.

scholarly journals Patient Portal, Patient-Generated Images, and Medical Decision-Making in a Pediatric Ambulatory Setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (05) ◽  
pp. 764-768
Author(s):  
Karolin Ginting ◽  
Adrienne Stolfi ◽  
Jordan Wright ◽  
Abiodun Omoloja
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Medical Decision Making ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Medical Decision ◽  
Ambulatory Setting ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Portals

Abstract Background Electronic health record (EHR) patient portals are a secure electronic method of communicating with health care providers. In addition to sending secure messages, images, and videos generated by families can be sent to providers securely. With the widespread use of smart phones, there has been an increase in patient-generated images (PGI) sent to providers via patient portals. There are few studies that have evaluated the role of PGI in medical decision-making. Objectives The study aimed to characterize PGI sent to providers via a patient portal, determine how often PGI-affected medical decision-making, and determine the rate of social PGI sent via patient portal. Methods A retrospective chart review of PGI uploaded to a children's hospital's ambulatory patient portal from January 2011 to December 2017 was conducted. Data collected included patient demographics, number and type of images sent, person sending images (patient or parent/guardian), and whether an image-affected medical decision-making. Images were classified as medical related (e.g., blood glucose readings and skin rashes), nonmedical or administrative related (e.g., medical clearance or insurance forms), and social (e.g., self-portraits and camp pictures). Results One hundred forty-three individuals used the portal a total of 358 times, sending 507 images over the study period. Mean (standard deviation) patient age was 9.5 (5.9) years, 50% were females, 89% were White, and 64% had private insurance. About 9% of images were sent directly by patients and the rest by parents/guardians. A total of 387 (76%) images were sent for medical related reasons, 20% for nonmedical, and 4% were deemed social images. Of the 387 medical related images, 314 (81%) affected medical decision-making. Conclusion PGI-affected medical decision-making in most cases. Additional studies are needed to characterize use of PGI in the pediatric population.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document