Care Team Perspectives About an Inpatient Portal: Benefits and Challenges of Patients’ Portal Use During Hospitalization

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.

Improving Provisioning of an Inpatient Portal: Perspectives from Nursing Staff

“…Inpatient portals are potentially powerful tools that can empower and engage patients in their health care. 1 2 21 Yet getting portals into the hands of hospitalized patients in a reliable manner remains a challenge for many hospitals. 8 11 12 Our findings suggested that the three strategies of establishing provisioning processes, having persistent unit-level champions, and actively promoting the distribution and use of MCB tablets can make a difference in unit provisioning performance.…”

“…In addition, related research has shown that proxy users, such as spouses and family members, can play a critical role in supporting use of MCB, suggesting that these individuals may be another important group to target for provisioning. 2…”

“…As part of a larger study, 2 we interviewed a total of 214 nursing staff members including managers and non-managers across 26 inpatient units. Managers ( n = 47) included nurse managers, assistant nurse managers (ANM), and charge nurses 12 and 18 months after the introduction of MCB tablets across OSUWMC.…”

“…Patient use of inpatient portals may also improve health literacy through access to custom education models related to patients' diagnoses and conditions. 1 2 3 Furthermore, inpatient portals have been reported to enhance the patient experience 4 as well as improve patient safety and quality of care by providing personalized health information. 1…”

“…Patient use of inpatient portals may also improve health literacy through access to custom education models related to patients' diagnoses and conditions. [1][2][3] Furthermore, inpatient portals have been reported to enhance the patient experience 4 as well as improve patient safety and quality of care by providing personalized health information. 1 Studies also suggest that patients' access to an inpatient portal can improve nursing care team members' workflows by reducing the time they spend on activities such as ordering patient meals and responding to call lights.…”