Background Electronic health record (EHR) patient portals are designed to provide medical health records to patients. Using an EHR portal is expected to contribute to positive health outcomes and facilitate patient-provider communication. Objective Our objective was to examine how portal users report using their portals and the factors associated with obtaining health information from the internet. We also examined the desired portal features, factors impacting users’ trust in portals, and barriers to using portals. Methods An internet-based survey study was conducted using Amazon Mechanical Turk. All the participants were adults in the United States who used patient portals. The survey included questions about how the participants used their portals, what factors acted as barriers to using their portals, and how they used and how much they trusted other web-based health information sources as well as their portals. A logistic regression model was used to examine the factors influencing the participants’ trust in their portals. Additionally, the desired features and design characteristics were identified to support the design of future portals. Results A total of 394 participants completed the survey. Most of the participants were less than 35 years old (212/394, 53.8%), with 36.3% (143/394) aged between 35 and 55 years, and 9.9% (39/394) aged above 55 years. Women accounted for 48.5% (191/394) of the survey participants. More than 78% (307/394) of the participants reported using portals at least monthly. The most common portal features used were viewing lab results, making appointments, and paying bills. Participants reported some barriers to portal use including data security and limited access to the internet. The results of a logistic regression model used to predict the trust in their portals suggest that those comfortable using their portals (odds ratio [OR] 7.97, 95% CI 1.11-57.32) thought that their portals were easy to use (OR 7.4, 95% CI 1.12-48.84), and frequent internet users (OR 43.72, 95% CI 1.83-1046.43) were more likely to trust their portals. Participants reporting that the portals were important in managing their health (OR 28.13, 95% CI 5.31-148.85) and that their portals were a valuable part of their health care (OR 6.75, 95% CI 1.51-30.11) were also more likely to trust their portals. Conclusions There are several factors that impact the trust of EHR patient portal users in their portals. Designing easily usable portals and considering these factors may be the most effective approach to improving trust in patient portals. The desired features and usability of portals are critical factors that contribute to users’ trust in EHR portals.

Background The internet has enabled convenient and efficient health information searching which is valuable for individuals with chronic conditions requiring some level of self-management. However, there is little research evaluating what factors may impact the use of the internet for health-related tasks for specific clinical populations, such as individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases. Objective Our goal was to investigate the factors that influence internet use in acquiring health information by individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases. Specifically, we identified factors associated with internet searching behavior and using the internet for completing health-related tasks. Methods We used 2016 National Health Interview Survey weighted data to develop logistic regression models to predict the likelihood that individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases would use the internet for 2 types of tasks: seeking health information through online searches and using the internet to perform health-related tasks including scheduling appointments and emailing care providers. Results 2016 National Health Interview Survey weighted data include more than 3 million weighted adult respondents with inflammatory bowel diseases (approximately 1.29% of adults in the weighted data set). Our results suggest that approximately 66.3% of those with inflammatory bowel diseases reported using the internet at least once a day, and approximately 14.7% reported being dissatisfied with their current health care. About 62.3% of those with inflammatory bowel diseases reported that they had looked up health information online, 16.3% of those with inflammatory bowel diseases reported that they had scheduled an appointment with a health care provider online, and 21.6% reported having used a computer to communicate with a health provider by email. We found that women who were self-regulating their care were more likely to look up health information online than others. Both middle-aged and older adults with inflammatory bowel diseases who were unsatisfied with their current health care were less likely to look up health information online. Frequent internet users who were worried about medical costs were more likely to look up health information online. Similarly, the results from our statistical models suggest that individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases who were frequent internet users were more likely to use the internet for specific health-related tasks. Additionally, women with inflammatory bowel diseases who reported being married were less likely to use the internet for specific health-related tasks. Conclusions For those with inflammatory bowel diseases, there are additional socioeconomic and behavioral factors that impact the use of the internet for health information and health-related tasks. Future research should evaluate how these factors moderate the use of the internet and identify how online resources can support clinical populations in ways that improve access to information, support health self-management, and subsequently improve health outcomes.

Patient portals are websites or apps where patients can access their health information from their Electronic Health Records (EHR). This study was conducted via an online survey to identify what factors influence an EHR patient portal user to believe that the portal is a valuable part of their health care. In total 395 survey responses were included in a logistic regression model. Our results suggest that only 24.1% of our survey responders consider their EHR portals as a valuable part of their health care. Participants who are more likely to consider EHR portals as valuable were those who found EHR portals useful for information, trusted their portal; believed their portals were important in managing health, those who believed their portals were easy to use, and those who developed a habit of using their portals. This study contributes to the understanding of what factors support the perceived value of EHR portals.

The use of patient portals to access online medical records provides patients with multiple benefits like improving patient-provider communication, access to information, and improvements in self-management of care. Studies have shown advantages to using mobile apps in healthcare. This study examined the characteristics of individuals who reported accessing patient portals via a mobile app and those who accessed their patient portal using a website on a computer by using the publicly available HINTS data. Our results suggest that those who accessed their patient portal more frequently were more likely to use apps rather than only using websites. However, users who searched for online health information were less likely to use apps. We identified differences between patient portal app users and patient portal website users that may lead to differences in user needs and design features based on how and why these groups access the information in a specific modality.

BACKGROUND The Internet has enabled convenient and efficient health information (HI) searching which is especially valuable for individuals with chronic conditions that require some level of self-management of their health. However, there is little research evaluating what factors may impact the use of the Internet for health-related tasks for specific clinical populations, such as patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) or stomach ulcers, two related chronic conditions that can include self-management as part of their treatment plans. OBJECTIVE Our goal was to investigate the factors that influence Internet use in acquiring HI by individuals with IBD or stomach ulcers. Specifically, we identified factors associated with Internet searching behavior, and the Internet’s use for completing health-related tasks in the population of interest. METHODS We used the 2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data in a weighted format to develop logistic regression models to predict the likelihood that patients with IBD or stomach ulcers would use the Internet for two types of tasks: seeking HI through online searches or chat rooms; or using the Internet to perform health-related tasks such as filling prescriptions, scheduling appointments, and emailing care providers. RESULTS The 2016 NHIS weighted data includes more than 17 million weighted respondents who reported having IBD or stomach ulcers. Our results found that only approximately 13% of those with IBD or stomach ulcers reported using the Internet more than once a day and approximately 15% reported being dissatisfied with their current healthcare. More specifically, we found that middle-aged (36-55 years old) and older (over 55 years old) adults who had talked to a general practitioner during the past year were more likely to look up HI online than younger adults (18-35 years old) as were those who reported trying to purchase health insurance directly. Chat rooms were used more frequently by those trying to save money by self-regulating their care and those who reported being worried about the medical costs of illness or accident. Similarly, the results from our statistical models suggest that patients who try to self-regulate their care, patients who are dissatisfied with their healthcare, or patients who are worried about health care expenses are more likely to use the Internet for specific health-related tasks. CONCLUSIONS For those with IBD or stomach ulcers, there are additional socioeconomic and behavioral factors that impact the use of the Internet for HI and health-related tasks. Future research should evaluate how these factors moderate or mediate the use of the Internet to identify how online resources can support clinical populations in ways that improve access to information, support health self-management, and improve health outcomes.