survey on the number of patients using the patient portal

Although users do tend to like patient portals, and the tools have proven healthcare benefits, they still aren’t being used to their fullest potential. One survey conducted by HealthMine shows that despite the high portal adoption rate, only 20 percent of patients use their portals to engage in shared decision-making with their providers.

Full Answer

How many patients have access to patient portal tools?

A recent ONC data brief showed that 52 percent of patients have patient portal access, although fewer patients are using the tools.

Can we get detailed information from patient survey data?

Hence we cannot expect to obtain detailed information, even if surveys are constructed according to the wishes of patients. Patients need to be engaged in a patient-centered and value-based healthcare system; therefore new approaches yielding potentially more meaningful results and better cost-efficacy need to be explored.

Why do providers Love Patient portals so much?

According to industry experts, providers tend to like patient portals for a lot of the same reasons patients do. This is mainly because providers are trying to build a relationship with their patients, not just bolster patient loyalty. For many providers, patient portal use is about building trust and enhancing care.

What do patients see in patient portals?

Nearly all (92 percent) of patient portals allow patients to view lab results, while 79 percent offer updated medication lists, 76 percent show visit summaries, and 70 percent display problem lists.

What percentage of patients use patient portals?

Nearly 40 percent of individuals nationwide accessed a patient portal in 2020 – this represents a 13 percentage point increase since 2014.

How effective are patient portals?

Engaging patients in the delivery of health care has the potential to improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Patient portals may enhance patient engagement by enabling patients to access their electronic medical records (EMRs) and facilitating secure patient-provider communication.

Do patients like patient portals?

Eight studies reported that patients or their caregivers want more portal education, training, or support. Two studies found that their participants want human connection as they learn about the portal and how to use it, as well as when they encounter issues.

Why do patients not use patient portals?

The researchers found no demographic differences among nonusers who said that a technology hurdle, lack of internet access or no online medical record was the reason why they did not make use of a patient portal.

What are the disadvantages of patient portals?

Even though they should improve communication, there are also disadvantages to patient portals....Table of ContentsGetting Patients to Opt-In.Security Concerns.User Confusion.Alienation and Health Disparities.Extra Work for the Provider.Conclusion.

What are the advantages of patient portals to the patient and to the healthcare facility?

They appreciate the direct communication with providers. They appreciate the ability to ask questions in-between visits and convenience of requesting medication and referrals online. Some patients have told them they selected PHMG (and “fired” their other providers) in part because of the availability of the portal.

What is the future of patient portals?

Patient portal adoption is growing, but beyond lab data access and some secure messaging functions, there is little drawing patients to these tools. Customizability based on patient preference or clinical need could help support patients' desires for using the tool as a bridge between them and their providers.

What is a reason for providers to be reluctant to use a patient portal?

The reason why most patients do not want to use their patient portal is because they see no value in it, they are just not interested. The portals do not properly incentivize the patient either intellectually (providing enough data to prove useful) or financially.

How do you optimize patient portals for patient engagement and meet meaningful use requirements?

Meet Meaningful Use Requirements The portal must be engaging and user- friendly, and must support patient-centered outcomes. The portal also must be integrated into clinical encounters so the care team uses it to convey information, communicate with patients, and support self-care and decision-making as indicated.

What are the pros and cons of patient portals?

What are the Top Pros and Cons of Adopting Patient Portals?Pro: Better communication with chronically ill patients.Con: Healthcare data security concerns.Pro: More complete and accurate patient information.Con: Difficult patient buy-in.Pro: Increased patient ownership of their own care.

What is the most common barrier to the use of the patient portal?

Conclusions: The most common barriers to patient portal adoption are preference for in-person communication, not having a need for the patient portal, and feeling uncomfortable with computers, which are barriers that are modifiable and can be intervened upon.

What are the top barriers to patient portal adoption use?

Burying lab results or not offering access to clinician notes will likely keep patients from seeing the utility of the portal. Even if providers offer this health data, making it difficult for patients to navigate to it will reduce the utility in the technology.

How does patient portal use affect patient care?

These findings suggest that portal use may increase engagement and reduce health events that lead to emergency and hospital care.

What is patient portal?

Patient portals are secure websites where patients can view their health records, view test results, send messages to their doctor, and ask for prescription refills. Patients with chronic, or long-term, health problems such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease must often coordinate their care across different doctors in multiple locations.

How does a patient portal help?

Article Highlight: Access to a patient portal can increase engagement in outpatient visits by patients with diabetes and those with multiple complex chronic conditions, according to a PCORI-funded study spotlighted recently in PLOS One. The study showed that portal use was associated with significantly fewer emergency room visits and preventable hospital stays for patients with multiple complex conditions. By increasing patient office visits, a portal could potentially help clinicians address unmet clinical needs and reduce health events that lead to emergency and hospital care. The observational study compared visit rates for 165,000 patients with and without portal access in a large healthcare system that implemented a patient portal.

Why don't people use the patient portal?

The research team found that patients with chronic health problems who were younger or white were more likely than others to use the patient portal. Among patients who said they didn’t use the portal, the most common reasons were. Wanting to get care in person or by phone (54 percent)

What is the objective of a patient portal?

Objective 1: no follow-up for study outcomes. Objective 2: 2-year follow-up for study outcomes. Patient portals are secure websites where patients can access their health records. In this study, researchers, patients, clinicians, and other health system staff collaborated to design a survey to understand the drivers of and barriers ...

What is a peer review in PCORI?

Peer review of PCORI-funded research helps make sure the report presents complete, balanced, and useful information about the research . It also assesses how the project addressed PCORI’s Methodology Standards. During peer review, experts read a draft report of the research and provide comments about the report. These experts may include a scientist focused on the research topic, a specialist in research methods, a patient or caregiver, and a healthcare professional. These reviewers cannot have conflicts of interest with the study.

Do portal users report benefits?

Compared to portal users who didn’t report any of these benefits, those who reported benefits were more likely to also report that using the portal improved their health.

Why do providers use patient portals?

This is mainly because providers are trying to build a relationship with their patients, not just bolster patient loyalty. For many providers, patient portal use is about building trust and enhancing care.

What is a patient portal?

May 13, 2016 - Patient portals are an online website that is connected to the EHR, centrally focused on patient access to health data. These tools give patients a look into various data points, including lab results, physician notes, their health histories, discharge summaries, and immunizations.

Why do we need portals?

Further, portals help providers educate their patients and prepare them for future care encounters. When patients have access to their health data, they are better informed, and have the potential to generate deep and meaningful conversations regarding patient wellness during doctor’s appointments.

Why do portals like secure messaging make patients want to return to a certain provider?

Because portal features like secure messaging facilitate strong bonds between patients and providers, these tools make patients want to return to a certain provider.

Why are patient portals important?

Research shows that when patients are able to see their own health data, they gain ownership of their own wellness and are better prepared to interact with their providers about their care.

Why do providers need to understand patient populations?

Providers must understand which patient populations are and are not likely to utilize the patient portal. By identifying populations with lower adoption rates, providers can target their engagement strategies to encourage portal adoption, helping them to deliver better care to their patients in the long-run.

Why do minority patients have lower portal adoption rates?

Research shows that minority ethnicities have lower rates of patient portal adoption, potentially due to lack of access to technology or lack of technology literacy.

What is patient portal?

Patient portals typically have a lot to offer—instant access to test results and medical records, appointment booking, secure messaging, health-education materials and more. What portals don’t have is a majority of patients using them. Recently reported survey data shows that 63 percent of adults who were insured and made a health care visit in ...

Why did people not use the patient portal?

The researchers found no demographic differences among nonusers who said that a technology hurdle, lack of internet access or no online medical record was the reason why they did not make use of a patient portal.

What age group is most likely to report no need to use a portal?

Privacy and security concerns were more likely to be cited among patients older than age 40 and within certain demographic groups—Hispanics, for example—when compared with whites. Among those more likely to report no need to use a portal were Hispanic patients and those older than 50, compared with younger white patients.

Who are the least likely to be offered access to Medicaid?

Men, members of racial or ethnic minority groups, Medicaid recipients and patients without a regular source of care were among those less likely to be offered access.

What Was The Research About?

What Were The Results?

Who Was in The Study?

• The study included adults with chronic health problems. In the first part of the study, the research team surveyed 1,824 patients. Of these patients, 56 percent were white, 13 percent were Asian, 10 percent were black, and 10 percent were Hispanic. About 12 percent of patients were 18–44 years old, and the rest were older. In the second part of the...

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What Did The Research Team do?

What Were The Limits of The Study?

How Can People Use The Results?