ASPO Abstracts
Using Patient Portals for Cancer Research Recruitment, Enrollment and Engagement
Category: Behavioral Science & Health Communication
Conference Year: 2019
Abstract Body:
Purpose: Patient portals tethered to electronic health records (EHRs) offer promise for enhancing research recruitment and provide a unique platform upon which to conduct cancer research. We report on our use of an online patient portal to recruit, enroll and engage primary care patients in a behavioral trial that is testing the effectiveness of a post-office visit colorectal cancer (CRC) screening decision support program.Methods: From June 2017—September 2018, we compiled EHR demographic data and paradata for invited trial patients. Eligible patients included those 50-75 years of age at average-risk for CRC with an activated online portal account, aligned to a primary care physician, and due for CRC screening as recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were used to summarize patient characteristics associated with trial recruitment, enrollment and engagement. Results: Of 4,145 patients who were sent a trial recruitment message, the mean age was 59 years (IQR, 52-65); 52.5% were White, 62.5% were female and 69.9% read the message. Among those who read the recruitment message (n=2,896), 45.9% expressed interest in the trial by viewing additional online information, 38.3% enrolled (83.6% of those expressing interest) and 24.7% completed the trial’s baseline questionnaire - resulting in an overall enrollment rate of 26.8% and engagement rate of 17.0%. We found no statistically significant differences in who read the recruitment message or trial enrollment by age, race, or gender; however, Black patients (OR=0.79, 95% CI=0.65-0.95, P=0.014) and Asian patients (OR=0.49, 95% CI=0.31-0.77, P=0.002) were less likely to complete the baseline questionnaire than their white counterparts. Conclusions: Most patients who were sent a trial recruitment message read the message and a large majority of those who expressed interest in the trial ultimately enrolled. Post-enrollment, minority patients were less likely to engage in required trial activities. Additional studies are needed to increase our understanding of diverse patients’ interactions with patient portals and thus the opportunities, limitations, and challenges of their use in the context of cancer research and more broadly.
Keywords: Research recruitment, patient portals, disparities