Patient Portal Use Among Korean Americans With and Without Chronic Disease Condition

Patient portals have the potential to increase patients' engagement in self-care and improve health outcomes. However, limited research exists on patient portal usage among Korean Americans, especially those with chronic conditions. This study aimed to assess patient portal usage among Korean Americans and compare utilization between those with and without chronic health conditions. We developed a survey by adapting relevant items from the Health Information National Trend Survey, followed by standardized translation into Korean and validation. A survey was then conducted with 522 Korean Americans 40 years or older residing in the United States. Among them, 50.8% had chronic conditions, yet only 40.3% used their patient portals in the past year. No difference in patient portal usage was found between those with and without chronic diseases. Those who were younger and with higher education, higher income, and advanced English proficiency were more likely to use patient portals, compared with their counterparts. Awareness of core patient portal features was low. Healthcare providers' encouragement to use it (adjusted odds ratio, 12.97; 95% confidence interval, 6.85-24.55) was the strongest predictor of patient portal use. These findings emphasize the need for culturally competent interventions aimed at improving self-care by enhancing patient portal utilization among Korean Americans with chronic conditions.