TY - JOUR
T1 - Increasing Patient Portal Usage
T2 - Preliminary Outcomes From the MyChart Genius Project
AU - Ramsey, Alexandra
AU - Lanzo, Erin
AU - Huston-Paterson, Hattie
AU - Tomaszewski, Kathy
AU - Trent, Maria
N1 - Funding Information:
This Health Disparities mentorship project (Trent) was supported by DC Baltimore Research Center on Child Health Disparities (National Institutes of Health, Grant # 2P20MD000198 ).
PY - 2018/1
Y1 - 2018/1
N2 - Purpose To determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of dedicating staff (“MyChart Geniuses”) to assist adolescents with patient portal sign-up; to examine patient satisfaction with MyChart Genius services; and to determine patient preferences for future communications related to health issues. Methods Adolescent patients (13–25 years old) in an urban, academic, primary care clinic were approached by MyChart Genius staff to assist with enrolling in MyChart and downloading the MyChart mobile App. Patients were also invited to partake in a brief, online survey assessing their technology use and access, as well as their preferences surrounding communication with their health-care providers. Survey responses were analyzed using SPSS Statistics (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results Ninety-six patients were approached, 84 (87.5%) of whom enrolled in MyChart. Sixty-four adolescents agreed to answer survey questions. Respondents were primarily African-American patients (87%), with a mean age of 18.7 years. The majority (79%) of participants were either satisfied or very satisfied with the Genius program. The respondents reported high access to and use of basic technology, and a high perceived need for an electronic health record App. Preferences for future communications with health-care providers revealed population subsets, indicating an area to further individualize interventions. Conclusions This is one of the first studies to examine a strategy to increase patient portal uptake and usage among minority, urban adolescents (a group with demonstrated preferences on communications with health-care providers). The presence of specially trained MyChart Genius staff is a feasible, effective, and patient-satisfactory method of engaging with this group of adolescents.
AB - Purpose To determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of dedicating staff (“MyChart Geniuses”) to assist adolescents with patient portal sign-up; to examine patient satisfaction with MyChart Genius services; and to determine patient preferences for future communications related to health issues. Methods Adolescent patients (13–25 years old) in an urban, academic, primary care clinic were approached by MyChart Genius staff to assist with enrolling in MyChart and downloading the MyChart mobile App. Patients were also invited to partake in a brief, online survey assessing their technology use and access, as well as their preferences surrounding communication with their health-care providers. Survey responses were analyzed using SPSS Statistics (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results Ninety-six patients were approached, 84 (87.5%) of whom enrolled in MyChart. Sixty-four adolescents agreed to answer survey questions. Respondents were primarily African-American patients (87%), with a mean age of 18.7 years. The majority (79%) of participants were either satisfied or very satisfied with the Genius program. The respondents reported high access to and use of basic technology, and a high perceived need for an electronic health record App. Preferences for future communications with health-care providers revealed population subsets, indicating an area to further individualize interventions. Conclusions This is one of the first studies to examine a strategy to increase patient portal uptake and usage among minority, urban adolescents (a group with demonstrated preferences on communications with health-care providers). The presence of specially trained MyChart Genius staff is a feasible, effective, and patient-satisfactory method of engaging with this group of adolescents.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Electronic health record (EHR)
KW - Meaningful use
KW - Patient portal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034610133&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85034610133&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.08.029
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.08.029
M3 - Article
C2 - 29169768
AN - SCOPUS:85034610133
VL - 62
SP - 29
EP - 35
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
SN - 1054-139X
IS - 1
ER -