Implementing Online Patient-Provider Communication Into Clinical Practice (OPPC)

A rapidly growing research literature documents the importance of Health IT to improve communication between health care providers and their patients. Patient Internet portals and online patient-provider communication (OPPC) allow patients to stay connected with their care providers between clinical encounters, get help and advice for their symptoms and problems from home, better understand and manage their illness, and become more engaged in their care. Through better patient-provider partnerships and communication independent of face-to-face visits, health problems and side-effects of treatment can be more easily detected, prevented, and treated more quickly.

Therefore, the overall goal of this international collaboration study is to implement and evaluate the effects and use of a primarily nurse-administered OPPC service, including access to advice from physicians, dietitians and social counselors, as part of regular patient care; and using methods consistent with effectiveness research to bridge the gap between research evidence and translation into routine practice.

The specific aims of this study are twofold:

In Phase I the investigators will refine and implement an Internet-based OPPC service where patients can ask questions and receive advice and support from care providers and social counselors. The investigators will use participatory design methods to adapt an OPPC service to patients' needs; care providers' requirements; and the workflow and organizational and technical infrastructure of clinical practice by answering the following research questions:

What are the predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors related to successful adoption, implementation and maintenance of the OPPC service such as: potential barriers to successful implementation; workflow adjustments, support and resources needed to implement and maintain the OPPC in daily clinical practice?

In Phase II we will offer study participants access to the OPPC service to understand implementation issues. In addition, we will conduct a pilot randomized clinical trial (usual care; OPPC) with 40 patients in each group that will be followed over 6 months to evaluate:

1. participation rate and OPPC use;
2. characteristics of high/low volume users, patient-caregiver communication and use patterns;
3. perceived usefulness and ease of use and
4. impacts on organizational change and interdisciplinary collaboration.