Survey: U.S. consumers unaware of patient portals

More than one-third of U.S. consumers are uninformed about patient portals, according to findings in a survey conducted by Xerox.  

In the survey of 2,017 adults, 35 percent did not know a portal was available, and 31 percent said their physician never communicated to them about portals. These findings come despite the fact that 59 percent of respondents indicated that access to a portal would boost their involvement in their healthcare decisions.

Providers could make progress toward achieving Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements and improving care by focusing on the portal needs of millennials (ages 18 to 34 in this survey) and baby boomers (ages 55 and older in this survey), according to Xerox.

“With providers facing regulatory changes, mounting costs and patients who increasingly seek access to more information, our survey points to an opportunity to address issues by simply opening dialogue with patients about patient portals,” said Tamara St. Claire, chief innovation officer of commercial healthcare for Xerox, in a statement. “Educating patients will empower them to participate more fully in their own care while helping providers demonstrate that EHRs are being used in a meaningful way.”