Identifying, Engaging, and Supporting Care Partners in Clinical Settings: Protocol for a Patient Portal-Based...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Patient Engagement
• Caregiver Support

Background:

• Millions of unpaid family caregivers provide essential support for adult healthcare needs in the U.S.
• Caregivers manage daily tasks, medications, appointments, and follow-up care.
• The complexity of caregiving necessitates effective identification and support systems within clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a novel patient portal-based intervention for identifying, engaging, and supporting care partners.
• To integrate caregiver identification into routine clinical workflows.
• To provide resources and measure the intensity of caregiving roles.

Main Methods:

• A patient portal questionnaire was integrated into the electronic check-in process.
• Patients were prompted to identify care partners and report on caregiving responsibilities.
• Caregivers received a link to the ARCHANGELS Caregiver Intensity Index and resource information.

Main Results:

• The intervention was successfully implemented across three healthcare organizations.
• Staff and clinicians found the intervention easy to implement with no workflow disruption.
• Over 62% of patients submitted completed questionnaires within six months of implementation.

Conclusions:

• The patient portal intervention shows promise as a scalable and adaptable method.
• It effectively identifies and supports care partners within clinical environments.
• This approach can enhance the integration of caregiver support into routine healthcare.