A description of the development and initial evaluation of a patient navigator delivered patient portal enrollment program.
Alicia K Matthews, Caleb Gumbs, Larisa Burke and 6 others
PMID 40945195WHAT IT FOUND
Embedding patient navigators in clinic workflows significantly increased patient portal enrollment.
Enrollment rose from 70% to 79% across participating clinics, with newly activated users almost universally logging in at least once.
Key findings
01Patient portal enrollment increased from 70% to 79% across the three clinics receiving navigation support.
02The proportion of patients enrolling during their clinic visit rose from 8% to 14% in navigator-assisted clinics, compared to a smaller increase from 4% to 5% in clinics without navigation.
03Nearly all patients (99%) who activated their portal account for the first time accessed it at least once following account creation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study lacked a robust control group, making it difficult to definitively attribute the observed increases in portal activation solely to the navigator program, as other health system-wide digital initiatives may have influenced trends. The evaluation focused on initial portal activation and did not assess long-term usage, such as whether patients continued to log in, communicate with providers, or use scheduling features over time. The study was conducted in a specific urban Federally Qualified Health Center setting serving a predominantly African American and Latinx population, so the findings may not generalize to other healthcare settings or patient demographics.
Declared interests
The study was part of an NIH-funded initiative. The authors declared no competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the increase in portal activation as evidence of sustained long-term engagement or improved health outcomes. The study only measured initial account creation and a single subsequent login, not ongoing usage or clinical benefits.