• Sherine El-Toukhy, Alejandra Méndez, Shavonne Collins, and Eliseo J Pérez-Stable.
• From the Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (SET); Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (SET, AM); School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis (AM); School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (SC); Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (EJPS); Office of the Director, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Bethesda, MD (EJPS). sherine.el-toukhy@nih.gov.
• J Am Board Fam Med. 2020 Nov 1; 33 (6): 953968953-968.

BackgroundPatient access to their medical records through patient portals (PPs) facilitates information exchange and provision of quality health care. Understanding factors that characterize patients with limited access to and use of PPs is needed.MethodsData were from the 2017-2018 Health Information National Trends Survey 5, Cycles 1 and 2, a nationally representative survey of US adults ≥ 18 years old (n = 6789). Weighted multivariate logistic regressions modeled the associations between patient characteristics and access to, facilitators of use, and use of PPs and their functions.ResultsIndividuals without (vs with) a regular doctor (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.4; CI, 0.3-0.5) or health insurance (aOR, 0.4; CI, 0.2-0.7), those with high school (aOR 0.4; CI, 0.3-0.5) or with vocational/some college (aOR, 0.5; CI, 04.-0.7) education (vs college/postgraduate), or those with limited English proficiency (vs those who speak English very well) (aOR, 0.7; CI, 0.5-0.9) were less likely to report accessing their personal medical records. Women (vs men) were more likely to report accessing their medical records (aOR, 1.5; CI, 1.2-1.8). Similar patterns were found for PPs access and facilitators of use. Less consistent associations emerged between patient characteristics and use of PP functionalities.ConclusionsPP access and use are low. Having a primary care clinician, patient's educational attainment, and being a woman were factors associated with PP access and use, but not race/ethnicity. Once access was achieved, use of PP functionalities was generally uniform across demographic segments. Facilitating PP access and use among all patient populations is warranted.© Copyright 2020 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

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