142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

310237
Evaluating patients' willingness to utilize health information technology (HIT): Use of patient portals in underserved communities

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 12:50 PM - 1:10 PM

Brittany Stutzman, DO, MPH , Master of Public Health, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Nicole Cook, PhD, MPA , Master of Public Health Program, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
T. Lucas Hollar, PhD , Master of Public Health Program, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ludmilla Paul, MPH , Health Choice Network, Inc., Doral, FL
Saint Anthony Amofah, MD, MBA , Health Choice Network, Inc., Doral, FL
Teina Phillips , BRHPC Transforming our Community's Health: TOUCH, Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Hollywood, FL
Lindsay Corrales , BRHPC Transforming our Community's Health: TOUCH, Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Hollywood, FL
Michael DeLucca , BRHPC Transforming our Community's Health: TOUCH, Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Hollywood, FL
Background: Meaningful use of EHR includes patient portals designed to allow patients to access their medical records, communicate with their healthcare providers, and download education materials. Patient’s ability to electronically view, download and transmit health information is a stage 1 menu objective and a stage 2 core objective of the CMS EHR Incentive Program. Portals hold promise to engage and empower patients in their healthcare decisions, thereby improving health outcomes. Portals can be particularly useful for underserved patients who share a disproportionate burden of chronic disease health disparities in the U.S.

Methods: We are evaluating patient experience among 500 underserved primary-care patients in PCMH Health Centers in South Florida.  As part of a 29 question interviewer-assisted survey, we asked adult patients “Would you use the internet to access your health information?”   

Results: Surveying is ongoing.  Preliminary results from 117 initial surveys suggest that 63% of patients would use the internet to access their health information.  The majority of those respondents (86%) said they would use a computer, and 11% would use a Smartphone.

Discussions/Conclusions:  Early results indicate that a majority of patients would use the internet portals to access their information. However, despite portals being available at the Health Centers, staff report that few patients actually make use of them. Further investigation will include key variables contributing to intent to use such as race, ethnicity, age, primary language and educational attainment. On-site observation and focus groups will further help to identify how we can bridge the gap between intent to use portals and actual use of portals by patients in Health Centers.

Learning Areas:

Communication and informatics

Learning Objectives:
Identify the percentage of underserved patients that would be empowered to use technology in order to access their medical information. Analyze additional associations between patient demographics and the use of patient portals to access medical records. Describe how providers of underserved patients can encourage patient portal use, and alternatives for those patients less inclined to use technology.

Keyword(s): Information Technology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been conducting research with a federally funded grant evaluating the Patient Center Medical Home and its transformation in multiple community health centers in South Florida. I am also a student completing my doctorate of osteopathic medicine as well as my masters in public health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.