Patient portals are designed to give patients greater access to their health data and provider communication channels to facilitate better management of their care. Despite their availability, adoption across healthcare providers has been inconsistent. A study conducted in an outpatient cancer clinic involving 85 cancer patients found that while all participants used the Internet, and 90.6% owned smartphones, only 42.4% had utilized the patient portal prior to completing the survey. This is notable because it exceeds adoption rates found in other outpatient settings, which have sometimes been as low as 16.8%.
The participant cohort in this study primarily consisted of well-educated individuals, with 80% having at least some college education, and a mean age of 57.1 years. Most were white (64.3%) and evenly split by gender (approximately 50% male). The cancers represented included leukemia/lymphoma (32.1%) and multiple myeloma (23.5%), with participants’ ages ranging broadly from 23 to 85 years.
The moderately high adoption rate indicates a readiness within this population to integrate digital tools into care routines, but it also highlights that more than half of patients in this cohort had not yet engaged with PPs. Factors influencing adoption likely include patients’ motivation, perceived utility of the portals, digital literacy, and provider encouragement.
Cancer survivorship care often requires navigating complex treatment trails including ongoing chemotherapy, radiation, follow-ups, and symptom management, alongside the challenges of survivorship such as late effects of treatment and psychosocial support. Patient portals offer several potential benefits in this context:
The study reported a mean patient-provider communication score of 48.7 out of 60, suggesting a relatively positive communication experience among users engaged with PPs. Patient portals allow cancer survivors to send timely messages to their healthcare providers, clarifying medication instructions, reporting symptoms, or asking questions about their care. This reduces reliance on in-person or telephonic consultations that may be limited by scheduling constraints.
Through portals, patients can review their test results, treatment plans, and visit summaries without waiting for provider contact, supporting better understanding and self-management. Access to personal health information is critical for complex cases where multiple specialists may be involved.
Cancer treatments often involve multiple medications with precise dosing schedules. Patient portals enable patients to request medication refills online, reducing the chance of treatment interruptions and providing an additional safeguard for adherence.
Survivorship care plans typically include instructions for monitoring health, managing late effects of treatment, and maintaining wellness. Patient portals facilitate the delivery and updating of these plans, allowing survivors to stay informed about their care requirements over time.
Karen E. Wickersham, PhD, RN, from the University of Maryland Baltimore’s School of Nursing, remarked on the viability of using PPs as tools to help cancer survivors at any stage of their journey, highlighting their role in enhancing supportive care.
Despite the clear advantages, patient portal adoption remains uneven, and several barriers impact its effective use:
While the study population largely had access to technology and internet, patients’ comfort and proficiency with computers varied. The average self-efficacy for portal use scored moderately, indicating some uncertainty or lack of confidence among users. Providers need to consider user education and encouragement to improve uptake.
Adoption depends not only on patient willingness but the extent to which providers promote portal use. Provider endorsement and integration of portal usage into care workflows are necessary to motivate consistent patient engagement.
Though portals are secure, concerns about data privacy and potential breaches can inhibit patient use. Clear communication about security measures may help alleviate fears.
Cancer survivors often see multiple specialists at different institutions, causing fragmented access to health records. Many patient portals are not fully interoperable, limiting their effectiveness as a single source for comprehensive health data.
For medical practice administrators, IT managers, and clinic owners in the United States aiming to improve cancer survivorship care, the integration of AI and workflow automation with patient portals offers promising directions to enhance patient engagement and clinical efficiency.
AI algorithms within patient portals can analyze patient-sent messages or symptom reports and prioritize urgent issues for clinician review. For example, natural language processing (NLP) can detect concerning symptoms reported by patients and trigger automated alerts for oncology nurses or physicians, reducing delays in response and ensuring timely interventions.
AI-driven systems can tailor educational content within portals to the unique treatment paths of individual survivors. By delivering relevant information on medication management, lifestyle advice, and symptom monitoring, such systems can improve patient understanding and adherence.
Automation can reduce administrative burdens by handling appointment scheduling, follow-ups, and sending reminders through portal notifications or SMS. This helps minimize missed visits, which are critical for surveillance and management of late effects in cancer survivors.
AI tools can track medication usage patterns and automatically flag potential adherence issues or drug interactions, supporting pharmacists and healthcare teams in proactive management. Integration with patient portals allows patients to request refills effortlessly and receive adherence support messages promptly.
Aggregated data from patient portals, enhanced by AI, can assist healthcare administrators in identifying population trends, high-risk patients, and gaps in care. This insight allows targeted interventions and resource allocation, which is essential in managing the growing number of cancer survivors efficiently.
Medical practices serving cancer survivors in the U.S. face unique regulatory and operational environments that influence patient portal utility:
Patient portals must meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards for data security and patient privacy. Additionally, many providers use portals to satisfy Meaningful Use criteria under Medicare and Medicaid programs, making adoption more than just a patient engagement issue—it’s also a matter of reimbursement compliance.
Though the study cohort was predominantly white and well-educated with consistent Internet access, many underserved populations have less access to digital resources. To improve health equity, practices must consider initiatives to provide digital literacy support and alternative engagement mechanisms for such groups.
Effective use of patient portals in cancer survivorship requires seamless integration with EHR systems to provide real-time updates and avoid duplication. Practices should invest in interoperable systems that bridge oncology, primary care, pharmacy, and ancillary services.
Thought leaders in nursing and cancer services emphasize the patient portal’s role beyond simple access to records. For instance, Catherine O’Malley from the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center highlighted the portal’s function in supporting patients and caregivers during the entire cancer care continuum—from diagnosis through survivorship.
Eun-Shim Nahm stressed that understanding patient motivation is key to increasing portal use and maximizing the benefits for supportive care interventions. Meanwhile, Irene Guterman, Vice President of Cancer Services at Wamberg Genomic Advisors, pointed out that expanding e-health platforms and enhancing patient portal adoption could help healthcare providers deliver quality care amid growing demands and limited resources.
Overall, patient portals represent a useful tool for managing the complex treatment regimens of cancer survivors in the United States. Their use can improve communication, medication management, and patient education while supporting healthcare teams in delivering coordinated care.
With advancing AI functionalities and workflow automation, these digital tools have the capacity to change survivorship care, improve outcomes, and better meet the needs of a growing and diverse cancer survivor population.
Patient portals are secure websites that allow patients to view their electronic health records, send messages to providers, and request medication refills. They aim to enhance patient engagement and communication with healthcare providers.
The study aimed to assess patients’ use of the Internet and patient portals in an outpatient cancer clinic to evaluate the potential for utilizing PPs during cancer survivorship.
In the study, 42.4% of participants reported having used the patient portal prior to completing the survey.
The participant sample consisted of 50.6% male, 64.3% white, and primarily well-educated individuals, with 80% having at least some college education.
Participants rated their computer experience on a 5-point Likert scale, with scores indicating a range from beginner (0) to proficient (5).
All participants used the Internet, with the majority (90.6%) also using smartphones, indicating a high level of digital engagement.
The mean score for patient-provider communication was 48.7 out of 60, suggesting relatively positive communication experiences among participants.
Limitations included a sample from only one cancer clinic and the inability to link individual survey responses with patients’ medical records, potentially affecting generalizability.
Adoption of patient portals can enhance communication and care coordination for cancer survivors, helping to manage multiple treatment plans and facilitating support throughout survivorship.
Future research should investigate patient expectations, safety in reporting symptoms, and the delivery of survivorship care plans through patient portals, as well as conducting randomized controlled trials.
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