Identifying Care Partner Messages in Patient Portals
Author Information
Author(s): Jennifer Portz, Daniel Martin, Kelly Gleason, Karla Washington, Andrea Daddato, Dave Powers, Jason Lyons, Elizabeth Bayliss
Primary Institution: Kaiser Permanente Colorado
Hypothesis
Automating care partner identification via the electronic health record can improve caregiving interventions for people living with dementia.
Conclusion
The study found that a significant majority of people living with dementia had care partners who actively engaged with patient portals.
Supporting Evidence
- 95% of people living with dementia had at least one care partner listed.
- 77% of care partners engaged with the patient portal.
- 57% of messages sent by care partners were from non-proxy accounts.
- Non-proxy care partners sent an average of six messages during the study period.
- 54% of people living with dementia had portal activity on days when care partners sent messages.
Takeaway
This study shows that many elderly people with dementia have helpers who use online health tools to send messages and manage care.
Methodology
A retrospective cohort study analyzing electronic health record data and patient portal usage.
Participant Demographics
Participants were people living with dementia aged 60 and older.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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