Dive Brief:
Data security is a significant factor when it comes to encouraging people to use patient portals, according to a survey commissioned by data analytics firm LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
Portals, which allow users to access their medical records online and manage their care, aren’t always utilized by patients. Thirty-three percent of survey respondents said they use a portal less than once per month, and 16% said they’d never accessed one, according to the survey.
One concern for patients is portal security. Nearly half of non-users said they lacked confidence in the security of their data on patient portals, compared with 11% of users.
Dive Insight:
Online portals can help patients keep track of their medical information, like details from recent doctor visits, or manage other aspects of their care, like paying bills or messaging a clinician.
More than 60% of respondents cited the ability to view test results as a top reason for using patient portals, while half pointed to capabilities for scheduling appointments, according to the report, which surveyed more than 3,000 adults.
But plenty of people don’t use portals or access them rarely. Of non-users, 36% said a big factor was preferring to talk to a human, while 27% cited a lack of awareness about their portal or how to access it. Additionally, 17% of non-users reported one reason they didn’t use portals was due to security concerns.
Concerns about data security among non-users persist across portal types. For example, 77% of those who use health insurance portals feel they’re secure, compared with just 35% of respondents who hadn’t adopted them. Similarly, 80% of provider portal users think their data is safe, while only 37% of non-users agree, according to the survey.
Many patients rarely use online portals
Percent of respondents who cited how frequently they access patient portals
The survey results come as cybersecurity has become a growing challenge for the healthcare sector. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting healthcare organizations — and breaching sensitive patient data — in part due to the high value of medical records, experts say.
However, consumer preferences for how portals are secured don’t always align with the safest methods, according to the survey.
Nearly 60% of respondents said usernames and passwords were their preferred way of verifying their identity when accessing portals, even though passwords are frequently exposed by hackers and used to breach accounts or devices.
Because of this, cybersecurity experts often urge healthcare organizations to require multi-factor authentication, which uses a second method to verify a user’s identity.
“Our report indicates a disconnect between consumers’ perception of effective identity verification and the reality of how often usernames and passwords are compromised,” Adam Mariano, president and general manager of healthcare at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said in a statement. “This highlights an urgent need for more sophisticated, layered security protocols that enhance user trust and convenience without unnecessarily increasing friction.”
