Patient portal engagement at a pediatric office

This descriptive study explores the reasons individuals bringing their child(ren) to the pediatric office are not using the patient portal. There was negligible use of the patient portal as shown by a retrospective review of data usage reports via the eClinicalWorks software. Additionally, staff reported that they still answered many calls for information (immunization records, lab results, medication refills, appointment scheduling, and care-related questions), all of which were easily obtained through the portal. The objective of this study is to determine the reasons why individuals bringing the child(ren) to a rural pediatric practice in Central Pennsylvania are not using the patient portal. The scope of the survey is broad, as overall knowledge of the patient portal and its capabilities is assumed to be low based on current usage data. A convenience sample of individuals was pursued. The survey questions focused on the potential contributing factors to the individual’s lack of portal usage. Demographic data were obtained as part of the survey to identify the characteristics of the participants. The results revealed that the lack of patient portal usage would be responsive to change with some practice planning and education.