Parent-Reported Usability of a Patient Portal-Based Asthma Care Tool for Parents of Children With Asthma

This study evaluates our new EHR-integrated patient portal for asthma care (PAC) management module for parents of children with asthma. The module includes a previsit asthma intake questionnaire via the portal. The parent answers are integrated into the provider's clinic progress note to support clinical decision-making. Our goals were to measure the functionality and usability of the PAC module and to understand facilitators and barriers to its use for parents.

Parents of children ages 0-11 years old (n = 45) completed the PAC module's asthma intake questionnaires prior to their upcoming pediatric pulmonology clinic visit. To assess functionality, provider progress notes were manually reviewed to measure the amount of key asthma-related data captured. Differences in percent data captured with and without the PAC module were compared. Electronic surveys capture demographics, usability data (the System Usability Scale [SUS]), and open-ended experiential feedback about the module. Analysis included descriptive statistics for demographics and usability, as well as the constant comparative method for open-ended feedback.

The PAC module at this early stage of design significantly improved the capture of key asthma data in physician notes, increasing from 77% to 92% (p < 0.001). The average SUS score (83.8) indicated high usability. Favorable aspects of the module that were identified included time savings and ease of use.

Our PAC module enhanced data capture of key asthma management elements and demonstrated high parental usability. We will continue to refine the module through an iterative approach based on end-user feedback, with future expansion planned for broader patient populations.