<p> The implementation of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009 prompted the integration of electronic medical records into clinical operations. The HITECH Act contained requirements under the meaningful use program to offer tethered patient portal systems allowing patients to view health care information online. Utilization of these portals, however, has been low among the general population and its adoption among minority and non-English-speaking patients even lower. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Hispanics living in Texas, who often prefer Spanish as the primary language, access personal health care information online through the use of a patient portal. The study examined if the number of times a patient accessed the patient portal varied by demographic measures (gender, age, ethnicity, and insurance status), as well as average neighborhood income and language preference. The study also investigated differences in demographics and language preference between registered and non-registered patients. This quantitative, correlational study used archival data to analyze 500 randomly selected medical records at a medical clinic an academic medical center in Texas seen between January 2015 and June 2016. The dataset contained an equal pairing of registered (<i>n</i> = 250) and non-registered (<i> n</i> = 250) patient portal users drawn from the electronic medical record and the patient portal system. Data analyses included Pearson’s r correlations, independent t-tests, multiple regression models, one-way ANOVA, and chi-square analyses. Results demonstrate significant differences between age and patient portal use with older patients accessing the patient portal more frequently than younger patients. Hispanics and non-English-speaking patients are less likely to register or utilize the patient portal. Future research should investigate solutions to overcoming access and language barriers in this population. Given that patient portal access is one measure of patient engagement, elucidating how to further involve non-English-speaking Hispanics in health care has the potential to improve individual health outcomes.</p><p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10973874 |
| Date | 14 November 2018 |
| Creators | Van Weelden, Susanne Angelika |
| Publisher | Capella University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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