Patient Portal Functionalities and Patient Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes: Systematic Review

BackgroundPatient portal use could help improve the care and health outcomes of patients with diabetes owing to functionalities, such as appointment booking, electronic messaging (e-messaging), and repeat prescription ordering, which enable patient-centered care and improve p...

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Main Authors: Alturkistani, Abrar, Qavi, Ambar, Anyanwu, Philip Emeka, Greenfield, Geva, Greaves, Felix, Costelloe, Ceire
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2020-09-01
Series:Journal of Medical Internet Research
Online Access:http://www.jmir.org/2020/9/e18976/
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spelling doaj-fba067c144444234b9378ff37791ecc82021-04-02T18:56:47ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712020-09-01229e1897610.2196/18976Patient Portal Functionalities and Patient Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes: Systematic ReviewAlturkistani, AbrarQavi, AmbarAnyanwu, Philip EmekaGreenfield, GevaGreaves, FelixCostelloe, Ceire BackgroundPatient portal use could help improve the care and health outcomes of patients with diabetes owing to functionalities, such as appointment booking, electronic messaging (e-messaging), and repeat prescription ordering, which enable patient-centered care and improve patient self-management of the disease. ObjectiveThis review aimed to summarize the evidence regarding patient portal use (portals that are connected to electronic health care records) or patient portal functionality use (eg, appointment booking and e-messaging) and their reported associations with health and health care quality outcomes among adult patients with diabetes. MethodsWe searched the MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus databases and reported the review methodology using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Three independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts, and two reviewers assessed the full texts of relevant studies and performed data extraction and quality assessments of the included studies. We used the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Study Quality Assessment Tool to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. Data were summarized through narrative synthesis. ResultsTwelve studies were included in this review. Five studies reported overall patient portal use and its association with diabetes health and health care quality outcomes. Six studies reported e-messaging or email use–associated outcomes, and two studies reported prescription refill–associated outcomes. The reported health outcomes included the associations of patient portal use with blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and BMI. Few studies reported health care utilization outcomes such as office visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. A limited number of studies reported overall quality of care for patients with diabetes who used patient portals. ConclusionsThe included studies mostly reported improved glycemic control outcomes for patients with diabetes who used patient portals. However, limitations of studying the effects of patient portals exist, which do not guarantee whether the outcomes reported are completely the result of patient portal use or if confounding factors exist. Randomized controlled trials and mixed-methods studies could help understand the mechanisms involved in health outcome improvements and patient portal use among patients with diabetes. Trial RegistrationInternational Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42019141131; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019141131. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/14975http://www.jmir.org/2020/9/e18976/
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Alturkistani, Abrar
Qavi, Ambar
Anyanwu, Philip Emeka
Greenfield, Geva
Greaves, Felix
Costelloe, Ceire
spellingShingle Alturkistani, Abrar
Qavi, Ambar
Anyanwu, Philip Emeka
Greenfield, Geva
Greaves, Felix
Costelloe, Ceire
Patient Portal Functionalities and Patient Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes: Systematic Review
Journal of Medical Internet Research
author_facet Alturkistani, Abrar
Qavi, Ambar
Anyanwu, Philip Emeka
Greenfield, Geva
Greaves, Felix
Costelloe, Ceire
author_sort Alturkistani, Abrar
title Patient Portal Functionalities and Patient Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes: Systematic Review
title_short Patient Portal Functionalities and Patient Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes: Systematic Review
title_full Patient Portal Functionalities and Patient Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes: Systematic Review
title_fullStr Patient Portal Functionalities and Patient Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes: Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed Patient Portal Functionalities and Patient Outcomes Among Patients With Diabetes: Systematic Review
title_sort patient portal functionalities and patient outcomes among patients with diabetes: systematic review
publisher JMIR Publications
series Journal of Medical Internet Research
issn 1438-8871
publishDate 2020-09-01
description BackgroundPatient portal use could help improve the care and health outcomes of patients with diabetes owing to functionalities, such as appointment booking, electronic messaging (e-messaging), and repeat prescription ordering, which enable patient-centered care and improve patient self-management of the disease. ObjectiveThis review aimed to summarize the evidence regarding patient portal use (portals that are connected to electronic health care records) or patient portal functionality use (eg, appointment booking and e-messaging) and their reported associations with health and health care quality outcomes among adult patients with diabetes. MethodsWe searched the MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus databases and reported the review methodology using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Three independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts, and two reviewers assessed the full texts of relevant studies and performed data extraction and quality assessments of the included studies. We used the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Study Quality Assessment Tool to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. Data were summarized through narrative synthesis. ResultsTwelve studies were included in this review. Five studies reported overall patient portal use and its association with diabetes health and health care quality outcomes. Six studies reported e-messaging or email use–associated outcomes, and two studies reported prescription refill–associated outcomes. The reported health outcomes included the associations of patient portal use with blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and BMI. Few studies reported health care utilization outcomes such as office visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. A limited number of studies reported overall quality of care for patients with diabetes who used patient portals. ConclusionsThe included studies mostly reported improved glycemic control outcomes for patients with diabetes who used patient portals. However, limitations of studying the effects of patient portals exist, which do not guarantee whether the outcomes reported are completely the result of patient portal use or if confounding factors exist. Randomized controlled trials and mixed-methods studies could help understand the mechanisms involved in health outcome improvements and patient portal use among patients with diabetes. Trial RegistrationInternational Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42019141131; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019141131. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/14975
url http://www.jmir.org/2020/9/e18976/
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