The Effects of an Online Patient Portal on Nurses’ and the Health Care Team's Work in an Outpatient Oncology Setting: A Qualitative Study

Background In November 2022, Alberta Health Services launched a new province-wide electronic health record, Connect Care (Epic), with a tethered patient portal, MyAHS Connect, across all Cancer Care Alberta sites. Oncology patients now can view their health record (including results), view and manage appointments, enter data directly into their chart, and securely message their health care team. Purpose To explore how an online patient portal effects nurses and the health care team's work in an outpatient oncology setting. Methods A descriptive qualitative method was used for this research study. 15 health care providers were recruited (12 registered nurses, 2 medical oncologists, 1 clerical worker). Data was analyzed using thematic analysis with a technology-in-practice sociomaterial theoretical perspective informing our approach. Results Three main themes were generated: the invisibility of nurses’ responsibility of supporting patient portal use, access to the portal shapes a new type of patient, and MyAHS Connect is as good as the networks of care provision in which it is embedded. Conclusion This qualitative study details how patient access to the portal changed the ways that health care providers are working but the degree of this change was highly influenced by patient use of the portal, staff's use of the electronic health record, and the greater system context. This research highlights the substantial role of nurses when patient portals are used in health care practice settings.