Patient Portal Use Among Diabetic Patients With Different Races and Ethnicities

Patient portal (PP) use varies among different patient populations, specifically among those with diabetes mellitus (DM). In addition, it is still uncertain whether PP use could be linked to improved clinical outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to determine PP use status for patients, recognize factors promoting PP use, and further identify the association between PP use and clinical outcome among diabetic patients of different races and ethnicities.

This was a single-center cross-section study. Patients were divided into non-Hispanic white (NHW), non-Hispanic black (NHB), and Hispanic/Latino groups. PP use was compared among these three groups. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine factors associated with PP use, serum glycemic control, and emergency department (ED) hospitalizations.

A total of 77,977 patients were analyzed. The rate of PP use among patients of NHW (24%) was higher than those of NHB (19%) and Hispanic/Latinos (18%, P < 0.0001). The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of insurance coverage associated with PP use was 2.12 (2.02 - 2.23, P < 0.0001), and having a primary care physician (PCP) associated with PP use was 3.89 (3.71 - 4.07, P < 0.0001). In terms of clinical outcomes, the AOR of PP use associated with serum glycemic control was 0.98 (0.90 - 1.05, P = 0.547) and ED hospitalization was 0.79 (0.73 - 0.86, P < 0.0001).

PP use disparity occurred among NHB and Hispanic/Latino patients in the ED. Having insurance coverage and PCPs seem to correlate with PP use. PP use did not seem to associate with serum glycemic control among DM patients present in the ED but could possibly reduce patient hospitalizations.