title: Meaningful Use of a Confidential Adolescent Patient Portal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design and evaluate the usage of an adolescent patient portal specifically adapted for adolescent health care needs that also satisfied institutional meaningful use guidelines regarding electronic health records.
  
  
  METHODS
  Key stakeholders at one academic health care center adopted an online portal and opted to designate a patient portal specifically for adolescents to maximize confidentiality in compliance with state privacy laws. This study analyzed aggregate electronic health record data of adolescents' (ages 12-17.9 years) uptake, usage, and functionality of this portal and compared it to parent portal usage for younger children (ages 0-11 years). Differences in means were calculated using paired t tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The portal was used similarly between parents of young children and adolescents, with almost 1,000 enrollees in each group from September 1, 2012 to March 31, 2015. There were no gender differences in enrollment. Adolescents were less likely than parents of younger children to review appointments (73% vs. 85%), laboratory tests (67% vs. 79%), problem lists (40% vs. 78%), or allergies (45% vs. 77%, all p values <.001). Parents of younger children more frequently messaged providers (3,297 messages) although adolescents sent 1,397 confidential messages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Institutional decisions for implementing meaningful use requirements can align with goals of adolescent health. Patient portals can enhance adolescent health care quality and adolescents readily use a confidential portal. Implementation of meaningful use requirements should be checked against adolescent health care needs to maximize confidentiality and promote health communication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. Electronic address: lathompson@peds.ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Lindsay A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Martinko
authors.affiliation: Electronic Health Record Ambulatory Implementation Team, UF Health Physicians.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Budd
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Rebeccah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mercado
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Anzeela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schentrup
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D002648:Child; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000592:standards*; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards; D055991:Health Records, Personal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062527:Meaningful Use; D008490:Medical Informatics; D010290:Parents
keywords: Adolescent health services; Counseling/standards; Guideline Adherence/*standards/*statistics & numerical data; Health information technology; Preventive health services