Avdagovska, M.

Patients and healthcare providers views on the barriers and facilitators of a patient portal implementation and adoption - A qualitative comparative case study
Avdagovska, M., Olson, K., Stafinski, T., & Menon, D.

The rising costs of healthcare services and the increased prevalence of chronic conditions are demanding transformative changes in healthcare delivery. Considerations about these changes have focused on access to health information systems. Giving patients secure access to their health information is a provincial and national goal and critical to the delivery of patient and family centered care. With this shift, patient portals, which provide access to important personal health information and allow communication with providers, have become more prevalent. Alberta Health Services is piloting a patient portal, MyChart, to determine whether it facilitates partnerships between patients and providers and improves health outcomes, and to identify ways to improve its effectiveness prior to province-wide deployment. Although MyChart allows patients to view appointments and selected lab results, and communicate with their health providers, its impact has not been as projected and uptake has varied.

A qualitative comparative case study was conducted to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial perceptions of users (healthcare providers/patients/managers) and to identify ways to increase uptake prior to province-wide deployment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals from five clinics. Patients were asked about the impact of MyChart on their health and health care. Providers were questioned about the impact on the patient/provider relationship and workflow. Managers were asked about barriers to implementation.

Work in Progress Interviews were entered into NVivo and coded for main themes. These themes are currently being developed into key concepts intended to explain the variation in uptake of MyChart.

This study will provide an opportunity to contribute to the development of theories of diffusion of innovations in a health care system. The new knowledge will also be essential to policy development regarding patient portals that continue to challenge health care systems.