Factors Affecting Patient Portal Use Among Low-Income Pregnant Women: Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorKim, Juhee
dc.contributor.authorMathews, Holly F.
dc.contributor.authorCortright, Lindsay M.
dc.contributor.authorZeng, Xiaoming
dc.contributor.authorNewton, Edward
dc.date.accessioned2018-07-02T16:16:25Z
dc.date.available2018-07-02T16:16:25Z
dc.date.issued2018-03
dc.descriptionCopyright ©Juhee Kim, Holly Mathews, Lindsay M Cortright, Xiaoming Zeng, Edward Newton. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (http://formative.jmir.org), 22.03.2018. Licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).en_US
dc.description.abstractBackground: Patient portals offer patients personalized and secure Web access to their medical information and enable patients to manage their health care online. However, there is a lack of information about patient acceptance and use of patient portals among low-income pregnant women. Objective: This formative research aims to assess the potential of a patient portal, MyChart, for improving prenatal health care and pregnancy outcomes, and identify the barriers and facilitators of MyChart use among low-income pregnant women. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 low-income pregnant women comprising low- and high-risk patients enrolled in a prenatal clinic in eastern North Carolina. MyChart use, patient demographics, and pregnancy information were collected by reviewing electronic medical charts. Health literacy was measured. Reported use and attitudes toward MyChart were collected using a semi-structured interview. Results: Although 39% (7/18) of participants interviewed signed up for MyChart, only 22% (4/18) of them became active users. Another 33% (6/18) had never heard of MyChart or was unsure of how to access it. Users primarily accessed test results and appointment schedules. The main facilitating factors for patient portal use were information and motivation from health care providers and concerns about pregnancy due to a history of miscarriage. Reported barriers were lack of educational resources, lack of care provider encouragement, and technical difficulties possibly exacerbated by low health literacy. Participants also suggested improvements for MyChart, especially the provision of discussion-based support for pregnant women. Conclusions: The one-time verbal introduction of MyChart does not meet current patients’ needs. Data reveal the need for more consistent patient education and support programs, tailored to patients’ previous pregnancy histories. The clinic also needs to facilitate better provider-patient communication about the importance of MyChart use.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipECU Open Access Publishing Support Funden_US
dc.identifier.citationKim J, Mathews H, Cortright LM, Zeng X, Newton E Factors Affecting Patient Portal Use Among Low-Income Pregnant Women: Mixed-Methods Pilot Study JMIR Formativ Res 2018;2(1):e6 URL: http://formative.jmir.org/2018/1/e6 DOI: 10.2196/formative.5322en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.2196/formative.5322
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10342/6816
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.relation.urihttp://formative.jmir.org/2018/1/e6/en_US
dc.subjectPatient portalsen_US
dc.subjectDigital divideen_US
dc.subjectPregnancyen_US
dc.subjectPovertyen_US
dc.subjectHealth literacyen_US
dc.titleFactors Affecting Patient Portal Use Among Low-Income Pregnant Women: Mixed-Methods Pilot Studyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
ecu.journal.issue1en_US
ecu.journal.nameJMIR Formative Researchen_US
ecu.journal.pages1-9en_US
ecu.journal.volume2en_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
JMIRFormativeResearchArticle.pdf
Size:
424.96 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Main article
Download

Collections

Public Health
2017-2018 Open Access Publishing Fund