Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Patient portals are a form of eHealth technology that support patients and their families in taking more control over their own mental health care through access to their health information and other functions like scheduling appointments. With the shift to more technology-laden environments and with an emphasis on patient-centred care, Canadian healthcare organizations are more readily adopting patient portals in acute care settings. The presence and utilization of patient portals in mental health contexts is relatively new. Despite research existing in the literature that indicate that there may be benefits when patients have access to their mental health notes, there is limited information as to how best to implement portals, and support adoption among patients and their family members. Given this gap in literature, this study aimed to identify patient and family readiness, needs, and perceptions of a mental health patient portal. Surveys were administered to patients (n = 103) and family members (n = 7) either in-person or over the phone by a Peer Support Worker. The sample of participants consisted of both patients and family members affiliated with Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital located in Toronto, Ontario. Results of the study indicated that patients had the highest interest in the following portal functions: scheduling appointments, checking appointment times, and accessing health records. Both patients and family members expressed their concerns about cybersecurity and potential privacy breaches. The results of this study as well as the approach, can inform future patient portal planning and implementation activities at other healthcare organizations.