Bilingual Access to a Patient Portal Intervention: A Multisite Feasibility Study of My Diabetes Care in English and Spanish

Presentation Time: 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM

Abstract Keywords: Chronic Care Management, Human-computer Interaction, Usability, Patient Engagement and Preferences
Primary Track: Applications
Programmatic Theme: Consumer Health Informatics

Background: My Diabetes Care (MDC) is a patient portal-integrated intervention for diabetes self-management. Using Design Sprint methodology, we enhanced MDC by expanding its user interface to display additional diabetes data and developing a Spanish-language version. This study examined the feasibility (engagement) and acceptability (usability and perceived effectiveness) of the enhanced MDC.

Methods: In a pre-post, single-group study, participants with type 2 diabetes from two academic medical centers accessed MDC for one month. Feasibility was assessed through engagement, while acceptability was evaluated via usability (System Usability Scale, SUS), perceived effectiveness (changes in diabetes knowledge, self-care activities, medication adherence, diabetes distress), and qualitative interviews (n=9).

Results: Among 63 participants (mean age 57.2 years), 78% used MDC, with 90% using the English and 10% the Spanish version. The median SUS score was 75.0, indicating “good” usability. Scores were slightly lower for participants with limited health literacy (median 71.2 vs. 75.0, p=0.12), those aged 65+ (median 72.5 vs. 78.8, p=0.05), and Spanish-speaking users (median 57.5 vs. 75.0, p=0.19). Post-intervention, diabetes self-care activities improved, notably in diet adherence (median 4.0 pre vs. 4.5 post, p=0.07), though not statistically significant. Participants valued consolidated data display, color coding, and educational resources but some, particularly Spanish speakers, reported navigation challenges.

Conclusions: MDC demonstrated high usability but requires targeted support for Spanish-speaking and older patients. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes, clinical integration, and improving usability for diverse populations.

Speaker(s):
William Martinez, MD, MS
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Author(s):
Jorge Rodriguez, MD - Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School; Lipika Samal, MD - Brigham and Women's Hospital; Tom Elasy, MD, MPH - Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Isaac Gorgy, MD - University of Southern California/Los Angeles General Medical Center; Amber Hackstadt, PhD - Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Lindsay Mayberry, PhD - Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Lyndsay Nelson, PhD - Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Audriana Audriana, BA - Vanderbilt University Medical Center; S. Trent Rosenbloom, MD, MPH, FACMI, FAMIA - Vanderbilt University Medical Center Dept of Biomedical Informatics; Adam Wright, PhD - Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Zhihong Yu, PhD - Vanderbilt University Medical Center; William Martinez, MD, MS - Vanderbilt University Medical Center;