title: Patient-provider internet portals--patient outcomes and use.
abstract: An important emerging information technology tool is the electronic health record with a patient-provider Internet portal. Patient-provider Internet portals offer a venue for providing patient access to personal health data. In this study, we conducted a cross-sectional secondary data analysis to describe the types of diabetes patients who utilize the patient-provider Internet portal and examine any preliminary differences in patient outcomes. Data from this study suggest that a significant portion of patients (29.7%) with diabetes utilize the portal. Clinical outcome results indicated that portal use was not a significant predictor of low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels. However, portal use was a statistically significant predictor of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (P < .001). As patient-provider Internet portals are increasingly implemented and utilized across the nation, both clinical and nonclinical impacts must be evaluated. Patient-provider Internet portals have the ability to provide patients with the opportunity tobe increasingly involved in their own care,enhance patient-provider communication, and potentially reduce inequity, improve clinical outcomes, and increase access to care.
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC 27710, USA. ryan.shaw@duke.edu
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferranti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033283:Patient Access to Records; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL