Most of what we know about patient portal utilization and health services outcomes are based on data in the primary care setting. The utility of portals in serious illness and end of life may differ from more healthy populations.
We are conducting mixed-methods research using secondary data analysis of portal utilization at Kaiser Permanente and qualitative interviews with care-partners. We will report out our findings soon!
Portals may be particularly beneficial for older adults managing multiple chronic conditions (MCC). We spoke with patients about their experiences and opinions about portals. Health care systems and portal designers can use these recommendations to improve user experience and user interface of portals.