Patient Electronic Health Record Portal Use and Patient-Centered Outcomes in CKD

Abstract Rationale & Objective Electronic health record portals are increasingly emphasized in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, associations of portal use with clinical and patient-centered outcomes remain unknown. Study Design Cross sectional survey (April 2015-March 2018) Setting & Participants Non-dialysis CKD patients from nephrology clinics within one academic medical center Exposures patient demographics (age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, income), kidney function. Outcomes Association between portal use as an outcome and exposures. Additionally, association of portal use and patient demographics with four patient–centered outcomes (CKD-specific knowledge, stress, and two self-ratings of health) Analytic Approach Logistic regression to examine associations between patient portal use, demographics, and kidney function. Linear regression to examine associations between portal use and patient–centered outcomes. Results Of 245 participants, mean age was 60(SD ± 17) years, 182 (77%) were white, 121 (49%) were women, 230 (96%) had ≥ high school education, and 96 (45%) had Limitations Cross-sectional study design, cannot determine causality. Conclusions Interventions are needed to ensure all patients have access to portals to mitigate disparities in care.