Patient Portal Awareness and Utilization Across Diverse Rheumatology Populations

Poster Presenter: Allyson Covello, MD, Rheumatology Fellow at New York University Grossman School of Medicine

Poster Title: Patient Portal Awareness and Utilization Across Diverse Rheumatology Populations

Poster Session B: 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. on Monday, October 27

What is your poster about?

“We evaluated rheumatology patients’ awareness, use, and perceptions of patient portals across our three clinical sites: a public safety net hospital, private academic teaching hospital, and Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. We found that over 90% of patients were aware of their patient portal, but only around 70% were using the portal at least once a month. Use varied by hospital, with the highest use at the public hospital and the lowest at the VA. Age and education level were barriers to portal access, with older patients and patients with lower educational attainment at the public hospital reporting that lack of internet access impaired their use of their portal. Older patients also reported more difficulty navigating their portal. In contrast to the other sites, computer and internet access were nearly universal at the private hospital.”

Why did you decide to investigate this topic?

“Given increasing challenges to in-person medical care, including decreased time for clinic visits, physician shortages, and scheduling difficulties, online patient portals serve as important tools to engage patients in their care. Through our project, we wanted to better understand which patients were able to access this tool and identify barriers to access, which can inform future initiatives to improve portal use. While many of us tend to think of computer and internet access as widespread across the U.S., this project shows that even in a major urban location, internet access remains a barrier for some patients, and we need to take this into account when delivering care.”

What excites you most about your work?

“I get excited every week in clinic witnessing how the therapies we have today can truly transform patients’ lives, and thinking about how much more we will discover and be able to offer over the course of my and my co-fellows’ careers.”

What are you most looking forward to at ACR Convergence 2025 in Chicago?

“I am excited to attend the poster talks and plenaries, including a plenary session that one of my co-fellows is giving. As a second-year fellow, I am also looking forward to the Fellows-in-Training (FIT) program and getting to meet other fellows from across the country.”