TY  - JOUR
AU  - Vanderhout, Shelley
AU  - Taneja, Shipra
AU  - Kalia, Kamini
AU  - Wodchis, Walter P
AU  - Tang, Terence
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/1/23
TI  - Patient Experiences and Perspectives When MyChart is Introduced in a Large Community Hospital: Mixed Methods Study
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e66353
VL  - 27
KW  - patient portal
KW  - implementation
KW  - mixed methods
KW  - patient experiences
KW  - patient perspectives
KW  - learning health systems
KW  - LHS
KW  - mixed methods study
KW  - electronic medical records
KW  - health information
KW  - caregiver experience
KW  - Canada
KW  - user satisfaction
KW  - descriptive statistics
KW  - thematic analysis
AB  - Background: Patient portals, or secure websites linked to electronic medical records, have emerged as tools to provide patients with timely access to their health information. To support the potential benefits of patient portals such as improved engagement in health care, it is essential to understand how patients and caregivers experience these portals. Objective: This study aimed to explore patient and caregiver experiences, facilitators, and barriers to accessing and using a patient portal called MyChart during the initial stages of its implementation. Methods: We applied explanatory sequential mixed methods to conduct a web-based questionnaire and semistructured interviews with MyChart users and nonusers at a large community hospital in Ontario, Canada. Among users, we explored user satisfaction with MyChart, its impact on care, and areas for improvement. For nonusers, we explored barriers to MyChart access and willingness to use it in the future. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 5651 patients and caregivers completed the web-based questionnaire and 18 (12 users and 6 nonusers) participated in interviews. MyChart users primarily learned about the portal through email (n=1288, 39%), after-visit summaries (n=953, 29%), and hospital staff (n=408, 12%). Nonusers cited lack of awareness (n=1291, 59%) and registration difficulties (n=707, 32%) as some barriers to activation and adoption, but the majority would consider activating and using MyChart if they could learn more about it (n=1126, 54%). Users valued MyChart for preparing for health care encounters but expressed dissatisfaction with limited features and access to medical history and test results, whereas nonusers tended to be unsure about the benefits of using MyChart, especially if they were infrequent health care users. Conclusions: Patient portals offer benefits, but barriers to access and limited functionality can hinder widespread use. To enhance the adoption and potential benefits of patient portals, targeted outreach and comprehensive access to health information are essential to promote positive and seamlessly integrated health care experiences. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e66353
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/66353
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39847431
DO  - 10.2196/66353
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/66353
ER  -