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.