Patient Portal Use by Adults With Heart Failure: An Integrative Review.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Chronic Disease Management
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition requiring effective self-management strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
• Patient portals represent a potential digital tool to enhance self-management among adults with HF.
• Understanding factors influencing patient portal adoption is crucial for optimizing its use in HF care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing literature on patient portal utilization by adults with heart failure.
• To identify key factors influencing the use of patient portals within the Health Information Technology Acceptance Model framework.
• To highlight areas for future research in patient portal technology for HF self-management.

Main Methods:

• An integrative review methodology was employed to systematically analyze relevant studies.
• The Health Information Technology Acceptance Model (HITAM) was used as a theoretical framework to categorize findings.
• Predominant themes were identified across the health, information, and technology zones of the HITAM.

Main Results:

• Health zone themes: physical/mental health, quality of life, social interaction.
• Information zone themes: HF knowledge, self-care, information sharing, communication.
• Technology zone themes: usability, barriers, and facilitators to portal use.

Conclusions:

• Patient perceptions of patient portals significantly influence their acceptance and use for enhancing self-management.
• Healthcare providers should collaborate with HF patients to maximize patient portal functionalities.
• Optimizing patient portal features can empower adults with heart failure in their self-care journey.