Exploring End-Users’ Patient Portal Usage Leveraging a State Fair Platform

We conducted a cross-sectional study leveraging the University of Minnesota Driven to Discover research initiative at the Minnesota State Fair to understand end-users’ perspectives on patient portal usage. Surveys and interviews were used to explore patterns of portal use, associated barriers, and facilitators and collect suggestions for improvement. Frequent portal use was significantly associated with the presence of chronic disease(s). Patients with chronic disease(s) used portals more often for tasks like refilling medications and communicating with providers. Frequent users reported benefits such as improved provider relationships, better healthcare organization, and overall better quality of care. We found barriers and suggestions spanned across four constructs of the health equity framework i.e., the digital platform, individual, interpersonal, and societal. This study highlights actionable strategies gathered directly from end-users to improve patient portal adoption and usability, ensuring their benefits are accessible to a broader population.