Can Patient Portals Support Digital Health Equity for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities in Victoria: An Exploratory Study

Patient portals are web-based platforms offering access to Electronic Medical Records data and health services, aiming to increase patient engagement, and self-managed healthcare. Accessing healthcare presents challenges for migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds, therefore, patient portal designers should consider their diverse needs to ensure digital health equity. This study explores the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) community’s digital healthcare related experiences in Victoria, Australia, and then formulate potential considerations for better patient portal design. We conducted an exploratory study involving semi-structured interviews with CALD participants, using the Digital Health Equity Framework (DHEF) as our theoretical lens. The results indicate a lack of patient portal experiences and awareness among CALD participants. Aside from challenges related to language, age, technology, and cultural preferences, insufficient offering of patient portal access by healthcare providers despite its availability, has diminished portal engagement. DHEF enabled a richer understanding of interactions between determinants of digital health equity.