Beyond the Patient Portal: Supporting Needs of Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

Although patient portals-technologies that give patients access to their health information-are recognized as key to increasing patient engagement, we have a limited understanding of how these technologies should be designed to meet the needs of hospitalized patients and caregivers. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 patients and caregivers, we examine how future patient portals can best align with their needs and support engagement in their care. Our findings reveal six needs that existing patient portals do not support: (1) transitioning from home to hospital, (2) adjusting schedules and receiving status updates, (3) understanding and remembering care, (4) asking questions and flagging problems, (5) collaborating with providers and care- givers, and (6) preparing for discharge and at-home care. Based on these findings, we discuss three design implications: highlight patient-centric goals and preferences, provide dynamic information about care events, and design for situationally-impaired users. Our contributions guide future patient portals in engaging hospitalized patients and care- givers as primary stakeholders in their health care.