Interest in and Experience with the Use of Patient Portals Among Adolescents in Mental Health Care

Abstract

Patient portals hold the potential to support patients and enhance treatment, yet some concerns exist for adults in mental health care and adolescents in general. Due to limited studies on patient portal use in adolescent mental health care, the aim was to examine the interest in and experiences with the use of patient portals among adolescents in mental health care. In a cross-sectional survey, adolescent patients in specialist mental health care across Norway were invited between April and September 2022. The questionnaire included questions on their interests in and experiences with using patient portals. Fifty-three (8,5%), adolescents between 12-18 (mean: 15) responded, of which 64 % were interested in using patient portals. Almost half of the respondents would share access to their patient portal with healthcare providers (48 %) and designated family members (43 %). One-third had used a patient portal, where 28 % had used it to change an appointment, 24 % to see their medications and 22 % to communicate with healthcare providers. The knowledge from this study can be used to inform the set-up of patient portal services for adolescents in mental health care.