Potential of personal health record portals in the care of individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders: Provider perspectives.

CONTEXT/

OBJECTIVE

Although personal health record (PHR) portals are designed for patients, healthcare providers are a key influence in how patients use their features and realize benefits from them. A few studies have examined provider attitudes toward PHR portals, but none have focused on those who care for individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). We characterize SCI/D provider perspectives of PHR portals, including perceived advantages and disadvantages of PHR portal use in SCI/D care.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional; semi-structured interviews.

SETTING

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Centers in the Veterans Health Administration.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-six SCI/D healthcare providers.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived advantages and disadvantages of PHR portals.

RESULTS

The complex situations of individuals with SCI/D shaped provider perspectives of PHR portals and their potential role in practice. Perceived advantages of PHR portal use in SCI/D care included the ability to coordinate information and care, monitor and respond to outpatient requests, support patient self-management activities, and provide reliable health information to patients. Perceived disadvantages of PHR portal use in SCI/D care included concerns about the quality of patient-generated health data, other potential liabilities for providers and workload burden, and the ability of individuals with SCI/D to understand clinical information accessed through a portal.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights advantages and disadvantages that should be considered when promoting engagement of SCI/D healthcare providers in use of PHR portals, and portal features that may have the most utility in SCI/D care.