In 2024, more than 3 in 4 individuals nationwide reported being offered online access to their medical records by their healthcare provider or insurer. However, as most providers already know, simply turning on the portal and providing access doesn’t mean patients will use it. This may be especially true for patients who are not digitally savvy and those for whom English is not a primary language.

Knowing this, it’s important for providers and their teams to find ways to encourage increased patient portal use. We share 7 effective strategies here. 

A recent Medpage Today article suggests that leveraging plain-language summaries, visual aids, and AI-generated explanations can help patients understand information and empower them to advocate for themselves. Here’s an example of a large language model that extracts concepts from a radiologist’s report, explains those concepts to patients, and suggests possible follow-up questions to enhance patient understanding of radiology information. As medical practices focus on increasing patient portal use, promoting user-friendly information is paramount.

Appoint someone within your practice to provide one-on-one education to patients, detailing how to access the portal and use all features. Using an office tablet or even the patient’s own phone, various staff members (e.g. front-desk staff, medical assistants, care coordinators, volunteers or digital navigators, or community health workers) can provide this education while patients wait for their appointment or upon checkout. Sometimes basic navigation instruction is the best tool for increasing patient portal use.

When thinking about increasing patient portal use, it may make sense to engage caregivers in addition to patients, particularly when the caregiver is the functional, logistical, or clinical primary manager of the patient’s health tasks. To promote caregiver/proxy engagement, make enrollment easy and routine, especially when providing and billing for caregiver training.

Train front-desk staff to ask patients (particularly older adults, patients with chronic conditions, parents of children, and patients who mention caregiver involvement) if they would like to provide portal access to a caregiver. Practices can also add a question to every intake, annual update, and consent form asking, “Would you like a caregiver or family member to have portal access?”

Also consider sending proxy enrollment reminders when:

As much as possible, send care plans, visit summaries and notes, medication lists, patient statements, price estimates, and other important information through the portal (with event-driven text/email alerts). For example, text patients when visit notes become available and prompt them to log into the portal to view.

Remember that consistency helps transition the portal from optional to essential, and can be a game changer for increasing patient portal use. Train staff members to say, ‘’Your instructions will be in the portal after the visit. Be sure to look there” or “You can update your insurance information right in the portal.”

"When patients learn to access their portal, it empowers them to take more control over their healthcare," notes Dr. Jesse Houghton, senior medical director of Gastroenterology at Southern Ohio Medical Center. "They gain a better understanding of their medications, lab and test results, and are able to track their progress with treatments from different providers."

Prioritizing language accessibility ensures inclusiveness for all patients. Ensure portal activation instructions are in the patient’s preferred language and provide videos on how to perform common tasks.

To achieve meaningful multi-lingual access, advocate for the translation of all patient-facing content (e.g. pre-visit instructions, good faith estimates, patient education, FAQs, and more). Multi-lingual access is critical for increasing patient portal use.

Patients are more likely to use the portal when it’s the fastest path to an answer. Let patients know what to expect in terms of a turnaround time for responses and strive to respond as quickly as possible. Routing rules for efficient EHR inbox management help ensure staff members who are most suited to address the message see that message first, so no time is wasted.  

"Patients often see their test results before their provider, which can help ensure abnormal results are addressed quickly (since patients do not hesitate to contact the provider’s office regarding real or perceived abnormal results)," shares Dr. Houghton. "This can take some getting used to for providers, but is an overall positive situation."

Advertising the patient portal is one of the easiest ways to increase adoption. Consider using benefit-forward language (e.g. 24/7 access to your care — no hold times) on your practice’s website, as well as on after-visit summaries, on signage at the front desk and in exam rooms, and on patient statements.

Tracking patient portal adoption and use is essential. Key performance indicators for patient engagement include:

If these metrics aren’t trending in the right direction, it could signal the need to improve patient education, revise workflows, or rethink information in the context of health literacy. Even if practices can't change how the portal looks or works, they can focus on helping patients and meeting their expectations by making every interaction easy, clear, and supportive. 

Patient-centered design makes the portal accessible to all users, including older adults, those with limited digital skills, caregivers, and non-English speakers. By focusing on patient needs, the portal becomes an effective tool for engagement, safety, and care continuity, improving outcomes for patients and providers.

With the right design, education, and support, increasing patient portal use is possible. Below is a checklist that can help boost portal engagement in your practice. 

1. Make enrollment simple

☐ Add portal sign-up to registration/check-in

☐ Use the patient’s own device for setup

☐ Provide QR codes for quick app downloads

2. Promote the portal consistently

☐ Use the script: “We send results and instructions through the portal — have you been able to access yours?”

☐ Include portal links in appointment reminders 

☐ Display simple portal instructions in waiting areas

3. Tie the portal to patients' needs

☐ Release all results through the portal

☐ Send care instructions and visit summaries via the portal

☐ Encourage submission of pre-visit forms through the portal

4. Offer quick ‘hands-on’ help

☐ Assist patients or caregivers at check-in/discharge

☐ Enable biometric login for ease of access

☐ Use "teach-back" techniques (e.g., ask them to open a message)

5. Engage caregivers when relevant

☐ Ask if a caregiver needs access

☐ Provide proxy-friendly instructions

☐ Set up proxy access on the spot

6. Reduce barriers

☐ Provide materials in preferred languages

☐ Offer simple, 5–6 step instructions

☐ Provide videos or screenshots for common tasks

7. Use smart notifications

☐ Send nudges when results or forms are ready

☐ Use targeted campaigns for chronic disease or care transitions

☐ Automate welcome messages after activation