Accessing Patient Portals: Some Patients Want a Helping Hand

Patient portals provide patients with access to their health information, including medical history and conditions, lab results, and upcoming appointments and ability to message their care team. However, not all patients have access to their portal.

A cross-sectional survey of 233 adult family medicine patients from 4 community health clinics and a local community organization was conducted. The survey assessed patient demographics, internet usage, device ownership, and engagement with patient portals.

Nearly half (47%) of patients had never accessed any portal, whether their own, a friend's, or family member's. Among patients without home internet, 66% had never used a portal. 36% of laptop owners, 37% of desktop owners, and 34% of tablet owners had never used a portal. Across different self-identified identities, 46% of White patients, 41% of Black patients, and 53% of Hispanic/Latino patients had never used a portal. Among English speakers, 42% had never used a portal, compared with 59% of Spanish speakers. Roughly one-third (32%) of patients were interested in portal training, with more than half preferring individualized training.

Significant disparities in patient portal access exist in safety net practices. In addition to limited access to digital technology, lack of awareness of portal benefits and lack of clinician discussion and assistance likely contribute to inequities. Many patients desire individual portal training.