Pediatric Endocrinologist; Patient Portal Physician Lead CHEO CHEO; University of Ottawa Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Background: Patient portals (PP) can enhance patient engagement and have potential to improve quality of care. However, despite their positive perception by patients/families, adoption remains low. Since provider promotion of PP impacts patient activation and use, understanding providers’ perspectives of PP is critical to successful implementation. Yet there is sparse information, beyond anecdotal reports, about provider opinion, particularly in pediatrics.
Objective: To evaluate clinician perceptions regarding the implementation of a PP in a pediatric environment.
Design/Methods: An electronic survey was sent to all clinicians in a pediatric tertiary health center. Perceived and expected PP usefulness/usability, impact on clinician-patient/family relationship, workload, security/privacy and medicolegal risk were evaluated as well as overall attitude toward PP adoption and interest in future PP functionality. Descriptive statistics were calculated and analyzed for all survey items.
Results: 473 participants (87% female; 71% <age 50 years; 26% physicians) completed the survey (24% response rate) representing a broad range of clinical areas and PP experience. Respondents understood (94%), accepted (92%) and agreed (89%) that PP implementation provided better patient access and care. Only 24% of respondents felt their PP training was adequate. Clinician observations of their patients using the PP are displayed in Figure 1. 86% of clinicians reported that the PP had not changed their overall workload and productivity but 41% felt it would increase as more patients become active. There were minimal PP-related privacy/security concerns but 24% of respondents felt their medico-legal risk concerns would increase. 79% reported that PP use does not change quality of care they deliver. 46% would like for their patients to be active on the PP while 48% were indifferent. Future PP functionality favoured scheduling, questionnaires, and e-visits. Conclusion(s): While the justification for PP implementation is acknowledged, compared to existing literature and patient experience, clinicians underestimate their potential value, overestimate their impact on workload and patient anxiety and feel they need more training to properly use the PP. These results will guide the next steps in PP optimization locally and should aid other centers in understanding and addressing clinician concerns with the goal of improving PP activation and use. Although concerns about PP cited by providers are largely unfounded, they persist and remain a barrier to optimal leveraging of this tool.
Figure 1. Clinician observations of their patients/families using a patient portal
Authors/Institutions: Ellen Goldbloom, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Jennilea Courtney, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Nicholas Barrowman, CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Tammy DeGiovanni, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Jennifer de Boer, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Mari Teitelbaum, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Karen Macaulay, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Jim King, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
.jpg "Ellen Goldbloom, MD FRCPC photo")
