Multi-method analysis finds patient portals have lots of room for improvement
Most patient portals are falling short of their potential to facilitate physician-patient communication and improve clinical outcomes. Yet in many cases the fix may be as basic as increasing interactivity and incorporating personalized messages, according to an analysis running in the May edition of the Journal of Internet Medical Research.
Jordan Alpert, PhD, of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and colleagues drew from 31 patient interviews, two clinician focus groups and their own thematic analysis to consider ways patient-portal design might be evaluated and better informed.
Using the critical incident technique, they found that 102 of the 142 portal engagements they reviewed (71.8 percent) were overall negative, while only 40 (28.2 percent) were positive.
They also found that less than a third of portals studied went beyond offering patients text for reading.
Meanwhile clinicians voiced their frustrations over lack of patient feedback mechanisms and other concerns.
“You get this message and you want to answer it,” one clinician told the researchers, “but I find that if that question pushes the boundaries of what I should do outside of an office visit, maybe I should bring them in? But they’re asking for it, so I send the antibiotic I otherwise wouldn’t.”
Noting that the Affordable Care Act mandates the utilization of patient portals, and that usage continues to rise, the authors stress that portals’ impact “has not been as profound as anticipated.”
They conclude that personalized content must contain higher levels of engagement and interactivity.
“This may be accomplished through increased levels of immediacy, which has been associated with greater patient satisfaction, understanding and compliance,” write Alpert et al.
“Communication strategies incorporating immediacy, like adding personalized content addressing patients’ concerns about treatment, can contribute to humanizing interactions between patients and clinicians, encouraging patient participation and building trust.”
There’s more, and the study report is posted in its entirety.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.