Proxy use of patient portals on behalf of children: Federally Qualified Health Centers as a case study

Objective: This study examined the proxy use of patient portals for children in a large Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) network in Texas.Methods: We used de-identified individual-level data of patients, 0-18 years, who had 1+ visits between December 2018 and November 2020. Logistic regression was used to examine patient-, clinic-, and geographic-level factors associated with portal usage by an assumed proxy (i.e. parent or guardian).Results: The proxy portal usage rate increased from 28% in the pre-pandemic months (November 2018-February 2020) to 34% in the pandemic months (March-Nov 2020). Compared to patients 0-5 years, patients aged 6 to 18 years had lower odds of portal usage (6-10 OR: 0.77, p < 0.001; 11-14 OR: 0.62, p < 0.001; 15-18 OR: 0.51, p < 0.001). Minoritized groups had significantly lower odds of portal usage when compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts (non-Hispanic Black OR: 0.78, p < 0.001; Hispanic OR 0.63, p < 0.001; Asian OR: 0.69, p < 0.001). Having one chronic condition was associated with portal usage (OR: 1.57, p < 0.001); however, there were no significant differences in portal usage between those with none or multiple chronic conditions. Portal usage also varied by service lines, with obstetrics and gynecology (OR: 1.84, p < 0.001) and behavioral health (OR 1.82, p < 0.001) having the highest odds of usage when compared to pediatrics. Having a telemedicine visit was the strongest predictor of portal usage (OR: 2.30, p < 0.001), while residence in zip codes with poor broadband internet access was associated with lower odds of portal usage (OR: 0.97, p < 0.001).Conclusion: While others have reported portal usage rates as high as 64% in pediatric settings, our analysis suggests proxy portal usage rates of 30% in pediatric FQHC settings, with race/ethnicity, age group, and chronic disease status being significant drivers of portal non-usage. These findings highlight the need for appropriate and responsive health information technology approaches for vulnerable populations receiving care in low-resource settings.