Providers' Perspectives on Sharing Health Information through Acute Care Patient Portals

Engaging healthcare providers in acute care patient portal implementation is critical to ensure productive use. However, few studies have assessed provider's perceptions of an acute care portal after implementation. In this study, we surveyed 63 nurses, physicians, and physician assistants following a 3-year randomized trial of an acute care portal. The survey assessed providers' perceptions of the portal and its impact on care delivery. Respondents reported that the portal positively impacted care, and they perceived that their patients found it usable and trustworthy. Respondents reported that all the portal's features were useful, especially the display of laboratory test results. Compared with the results of a patient survey, providers underestimated the portal's usefulness to patients, and ranked features as very useful significantly less often than patients (57% vs. 74%; p<0.001). Our study found that providers supported their patients' use of the portal, but may have underappreciated the portal's value to patients.