Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to use or be offered patient portals compared to white patients, Politico reported Jan. 9.
Politico cited the findings from a study from HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT that analyzed the percentage of patients who were offered and accessed virtual patient portals in 2019 and 2020.
HHS found the following:
- White patients were 10 percent more likely to be offered and access patient portals that provide test results and other medical information than Black and Hispanic patients.
- Half of white patients accessed patient portals, while about a third of Black and Hispanic patients accessed them.
- When the researchers looked at use among patients who were offered access, the disparities began to narrow, suggesting the gap was driven by being offered a portal. About 6 in 10 Black and Hispanic patients accessed portals when offered, compared with about 70 percent of white patients.