Addressing Barriers in Health Equity through Innovations in Health Information Technology: A Health Center‘s Experiences in Implementing a Chinese Language Patient Portal

Abstract

Patient portals have the potential to empower patients to be more knowledgeable and proactive about their health. Implementation of patient portals has become increasingly critical at primary care sites that serve underserved communities, where there is a growing need for linguistically appropriate electronic access. The Charles B. Wang Community Health Center has recently developed a linguistically appropriate patient portal with the goal of providing increased access to its majority Chinese American patient population with low English proficiency and literacy levels. This article will discuss experiences learned from implementing a Chinese Language Patient Portal that addresses socioeconomic barriers and disparities in health care access. aapi nexusing upon electronic health record innovations and health information technology (HIT) is crucial in providing higher quality care and improving health outcomes. Meaningful Use and PCMH goals have acknowledged patient portals as key platforms in improving access to health care and prompting various efforts around improving patient engagement, such as access to medical records, communication with providers, education, and wellness tracking.Disparities in provider-patient communication have been shown to exist among Asian Americans, especially those who are of low income and have limited English proficiency (LEP) (Ngo-Metzger et al., 2010). To address this, the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center (CBWCHC) has launched a Chinese Language Patient Portal (CLPP) with funding in part by the New York Community Trust. The patient portal is a secure website that gives patients convenient 24-hour online access to their personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. Services provided in the portal include allowing patients to access their health records, review lab results, schedule appointments, refill medications, and communicate with their health care providers. Launched in December 2013, the CLPP provides services in Chinese (both traditional and simplified) and is available in addition to the original English platform that was released in July 2013.In this article, we cover the rising interests in developing HIT for addressing health equity, experiences, and lessons learned in designing and implementing the CLPP, as well as guidance for other health centers as they consider developing their own patient portals that address the unique cultural and linguistic needs of other patient populations.