Strategies to Enhance Patient Portal Adoption by Addressing Digital and Health Literacy Barriers Among Diverse Populations

Before talking about ways to get more patients to use portals, it’s important to know what stops them from using these online tools regularly:

• Digital Literacy: Many patients find it hard to use basic technology, like making accounts, using websites, or fixing tech problems. Older adults and people who don’t use computers much may struggle more.
• Health Literacy: Even if patients can get into portals, medical words can be confusing. Not understanding health information can make patients less sure about asking questions or following their care plans.
• Technology Access: Many people, especially those who live in poor or rural areas, do not have good internet or devices. About 21 million Americans do not have high-speed internet, which limits using portals and telehealth.
• Privacy and Security Concerns: Patients worry that their health information might be shared or stolen. If they don’t get clear explanations about how their data is protected, they might not sign up.
• Complex and Fragmented Portal Systems: Some patients have to use different portals for each doctor. This can be confusing because they need multiple passwords and face different layouts.
• Language and Cultural Barriers: People who don’t speak English well or come from various cultural backgrounds may find it hard to use portals without support in their own language or content that fits their culture.

Studies show that Black patients and older adults between 60 and 69 years old use patient portals less than White and younger patients. This is because they face many of these problems at once.

Practical Strategies to Increase Patient Portal Engagement

1. Improve Digital and Health Literacy Through Community Training and Support

Many patients need help to use technology and understand health information before they feel ready to use patient portals. Healthcare groups can:

• Work with community centers, libraries, and nonprofits to give free classes and training in different languages on digital skills and health topics.
• Provide simple guides in print and videos that teach how to use patient portals.
• Create programs where staff or volunteers help new users sign up and learn to use portals during clinic visits.
• Have nurses teach patients one-on-one about how portals work and answer any questions.

This kind of help makes patients feel more confident, especially older adults and those new to using digital health tools.

2. Expand Technology Access for Underserved Populations

The lack of good internet and devices is a big problem in parts of the country, especially in rural and low-income areas.

To fix this, healthcare providers can:

• Work with local governments and internet companies to build more affordable internet and public Wi-Fi spots.
• Offer programs to lend or sell devices like tablets or smartphones to patients without their own technology at home.
• Partner with places like schools and libraries where patients can use computers and private internet.
• Include support for telehealth and digital literacy in grant proposals to get money for better access.

Making sure technology is available helps make digital health tools fair for everyone, especially people who face bigger health challenges.

3. Design Simple, Unified, and Culturally Sensitive User Interfaces

Patients won’t use portals if they find them too hard or time consuming. To improve user experience:

• Healthcare systems should combine multiple portals into one platform or make sure different portals work well together so patients don’t need many passwords.
• Portals should use plain language, avoid hard medical terms, and include pictures or guides that help with common tasks like booking appointments or checking lab results.
• Support for multiple languages is important, so portals should offer translated materials, language choices on screen, and content that fits the community’s culture.
• Add videos, FAQs, and other resources that respect different ways people communicate and their beliefs about health.

Easy and clear design helps reduce frustration and makes patients more willing to use portals regularly.

4. Build Trust Through Transparent Privacy and Security Policies

Privacy is a common reason patients avoid using portals. To fix this:

• Explain privacy policies clearly when patients start using portals. Tell them how data is kept safe and who can see it.
• Be open about where data is stored, how it’s used, and how it is protected.
• Use strong cybersecurity steps and tell patients quickly if there are any issues with data safety.
• Train staff to answer privacy questions carefully and respectfully.

If patients feel their information is safe, they are more likely to use the technology.

5. Engage Patients Using Multilingual AI Assistance and Voice Technologies

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help solve many problems like language, literacy, and making portals easier to use.

For example, Simbo AI offers voice agents and phone systems that help with patient tasks like registration, appointment booking, and requesting medical records. These AI tools support many languages and show English translations for doctors in real time. This helps break language barriers.

Voice control lets patients who have trouble using keyboards or have disabilities use portals without hands. Natural language processing means patients can talk normally instead of using medical terms. This is easier for patients who find medical language hard to understand.

AI tools work all day and night. They cut down on staff work and keep patients connected. By guiding patients, AI can help more people use patient portals.

AI and Automation: Enhancing Workflow and Patient Access

Healthcare offices need ways to make tasks easier while improving patient experience. Simbo AI shows how technology can help practices serve patients from many backgrounds and with different needs.

How AI Supports Patient Portal and Phone Workflow Automation

SimboConnect AI Phone Agents can answer many patient calls. This reduces the work for front desk staff, who handle things like appointment bookings, prescription renewals, and portal questions. AI helps answer calls quickly and lowers wait times.

Simbo AI’s voice agents handle many languages. This means patients can speak in their preferred language without confusion. It is helpful in cities and rural areas with many cultures.

Voice-activated AI helps patients with limited hand use or vision problems to use portals and phone systems. This makes healthcare easier for older adults and those with disabilities.

The AI system also uses data to find patients who might need extra help signing up or reminders about health. This supports better health for groups of patients.

Benefits of AI-Driven Solutions for US Healthcare Providers

• Improved Patient Engagement: AI gives patients help anytime, even after office hours.
• Reduced Staff Workload: Automating routine calls frees staff to focus on more complex needs.
• Increased Health Equity: Support in many languages and voice control help people with disabilities and non-English speakers.
• Higher Portal Adoption Rates: AI guides patients to sign up and use portals more often.
• Better Data Accuracy and Communication: Real-time translation and voice tools reduce mistakes from miscommunication.

Healthcare leaders in the United States are encouraged to use AI tools like these. When done right, they help patients and reduce gaps in access.

Addressing Social Determinants and Provider Training

Besides digital tools, patient portal use depends on social and system factors:

• Internet availability, income, education, race, and location all affect access to digital health.
• Improving these through policies, infrastructure investments, and working with communities helps more people use portals.
• Training staff to understand cultural differences improves communication and patient trust in portals.

Combining technology, education, community help, and policy support gives the best results.

Final Remarks

Medical practice administrators, owners, and IT managers across the US play a key role in fixing the problems that stop people from using patient portals. By using many strategies—improving digital and health skills, making technology easier to get, designing better portals, explaining privacy clearly, and using AI tools like Simbo AI—healthcare providers can help more patients use portals.

These steps not only help individual patients get more involved in their health but also promote fairness, reduce work for staff, and make healthcare easier to use for everyone.