Care Team Perspectives About an Inpatient Portal: Benefits and Challenges of Patients' Portal Use During Hospitalization. (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Hefner, Jennifer L.; MacEwan, Sarah R.; Gaughan, Alice; DePuccio, Matthew; Walker, Daniel M.; Hogan, C. Tory; Fareed, Naleef; Sieck, Cynthia J.; Huerta, Timothy R.
• Is Part Of: Medical care research and review. Volume 78:Number 5(2021)
• Page Start: 537
• Page End: 547
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: patient portals -- hospitalization -- workflow -- engagement; Medical care -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Research -- Periodicals; Medical economics -- United States -- Periodicals; Medical economics -- Periodicals; 362.10973
• DOI: 10.1177/1077558720925296
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-5587

Abstract

While current research about inpatient portals has focused largely on the patient perspective, it is also critical to consider the care team point of view, as support from these individuals is essential to successful portal implementation and use. We held brief in-person interviews with 433 care team members across a six-hospital health system to explore opinions about patients' use of an inpatient portal as perceived by care team members. Using the Inpatient Portal Evaluation Framework, we characterized benefits and challenges of portal use that care team members reported affected patients, themselves, and the collaborative work of these care teams with their patients. Interviewees noted inpatient portals can improve patient care and experience and also indicated room for improvement in portal use for hospitalized patients. Further understanding of the care team perspective is critical to inform approaches to inpatient portal implementation that best benefit both patients and providers.