The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usability of a novel patient portal intervention designed to: (a) notify patients when selected, clinically meaningful, evidence-based diabetes monitoring \& preventative care (e.g., annual diabetes eye exam) become due and (b) allow patients to initiate orders for the care. In addition, the investigators will assess pre-post change on secondary psychosocial outcomes (e.g., self-efficacy).
Up to 60 adult patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus will be enrolled and given access to a new feature within the patient portal at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The new feature will be available via the patient portal native app (i.e., My Health at Vanderbilt (MHAV) app) for mobile devices (smartphone or tablet). The new feature will allow patients to: (1) receive notifications when the patient is due for certain types of diabetes monitoring and preventative care and (2) initiate an order for the care. Study participants will complete questionnaires electronically via email at three time points: baseline (T0), immediately after first use of the intervention (T1), and three-month follow-up (T2) to as assess study outcomes including usability and pre-post change in secondary psychosocial outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
60
The Diabetes Care Gaps Patient Portal Intervention involves a new feature embedded with the My Health At Vanderbilt (MHAV) native app (on Epic's MyChart platform) for mobile devices that allows patients to: (a) receive notifications when the patient is due for certain types of diabetes monitoring and preventative care and (b) initiate an order for the care. Automated notifications will be sent to patients if, according to the evidence-based guidelines, the patients are due for a hemoglobin A1C blood test, microalbumin urine test, diabetes eye exam, or pneumonia vaccination. Once notified patients can initiate orders for the care within the MHAV app. The patient will receive confirmation when the order has been processed and will be provided instructions to receive the relevant care.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Usability
The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a validated measure of usability. The ten items are scored on a five-point Likert scale. The item scores are summed and then converted to a score ranging from 0 (worst) to 100 (best). A score of above 68 indicative of "above average" usability.
Time frame: Immediately after first use T(1), at approximately 1 month
User Experience
User experience will be assessed by study-specific survey items administered to all participants at the end of the study period (T2). The survey items will inquire about participants' perspectives on the acceptability of the intervention and on particular components of the intervention such as notifications.
Time frame: 3-month follow up (T2)
Change in Attitudes Toward Managing Diabetes in General
The 5-item Manage Disease in General Scale of the Chronic Disease Self-Efficacy Scales is a validated measure of self-efficacy (i.e., the confidence a person has in managing their own health and health care) and is closely related to patient activation. The items were adapted to be specific to diabetes rather than a generic condition or illness. Each item uses a 10-point Likert-type scale of response options ranging from 1 (not at all confident) to 10 (totally confident). The score for the scale is the mean of the items. Higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy.
Time frame: Enrollment (T0) and 3-month follow up (T2)
Change in Diabetes Distress
The Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale (PAID-5) is a valid measure of diabetes distress. Total scores on the PAID-5 can range from 0 to 20, with higher scores suggesting greater diabetes-related emotional distress.
Time frame: Enrollment (T0) and 3-month follow up (T2)
Change in Understanding of Diabetes Monitoring and Preventative Care
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Unique study specific items to assess participants' understanding of measures of diabetes monitoring and preventative care (e.g., Diabetes Eye Exams) will be administered to all study participants.
Time frame: Enrollment (T0) and 3-month follow up (T2)
Patient Initiated Orders
The investigators will collect data on the number of patient-initiated orders for evidence-based diabetes monitoring and preventative services (e.g., hemoglobin A1c). Participants with more than one diabetes care gap can initiated an order for more than one evidence-based diabetes monitoring and preventative service (e.g. hemoglobin A1c and diabetes eye exam).
Time frame: 3-month follow up (T2)
Order Completion
The investigators will collect data on the number of completed (i.e., care received) evidence-based diabetes monitoring and preventative services after a corresponding patient initiated order.
Time frame: 3-month follow up (T2)