Examining Health Care Provider Experiences With Patient Portal Implementation: Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Patient portals are increasingly adopted by health systems to enhance patient engagement.
• Understanding healthcare providers' perspectives on patient portal implementation is critical for success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore healthcare providers' experiences with the MyChart patient portal.
• To assess the impact of MyChart on patient care, clinical practice, and provider workload.
• To identify opportunities for improving patient portal implementation.

Main Methods:

• An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used.
• Web-based questionnaires and semistructured interviews were conducted with healthcare providers.
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Providers recognized MyChart's benefits for patient understanding and safety.
• A significant portion agreed MyChart supported better patient care, but integration into routines was limited.
• Concerns included potential negative impacts on patient-provider relationships and increased workload.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare providers acknowledge MyChart enhances patient access to information but raises implementation challenges.
• Early engagement with providers is key to developing effective patient portal strategies.
• Addressing concerns and providing support can optimize patient portal benefits.