Does it fit? Exploring patient and staff online portal experiences
Tracks
Room 3
| Wednesday, December 2, 2026 |
| 11:50 AM - 12:10 PM |
| Concurrent Room 2 |
Overview
Tamasha Jayawardena
Speaker
Miss Tamasha Jayawardena
The University Of Sydney
Does it fit? Exploring patient and staff online portal experiences
Abstract
Background and Aim
Patient portals are web-based applications managed by healthcare organisations that aim to support patient appointment bookings, reminders, and secure patient-provider communication. Despite growing evidence of the benefits of online portals such as reduced missed appointments, successful implementation of portals relies on usability, system integration and patient and provider adoption of the tool.
Our aim was to evaluate patient and staff experiences following the implementation of Florence, a patient portal, in a public dental hospital setting.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 patients and 10 administrative staff members at a public dental hospital in Sydney, Australia. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and de-identified transcripts were thematically analysed.
Results
Most patients reported positive perceptions of Florence, with many describing the tool as easy to use, convenient for appointment management, and an improved sense of confidence through appointment reminders. However, some patients reported difficulties accessing the portal and had limited awareness of Florence’s capabilities. Most staff members explained that Florence improved communication (e.g. two-way messaging), task efficiency (e.g. real-time task visibility), and saved time (streamlined some work processes), but the lack of integration with the hospital’s electronic medical record was seen to disrupt workflow.
Discussion and implications
Florence has demonstrated a reasonable fit for patients and staff, offering online appointment management and communication features. However, organisational barriers for staff such as the lack of integration with existing systems and patients’ limited awareness of the tool’s functionalities undermined Florence’s potential to improve patient and staff experience. Achieving a perfect fit between technology and users requires not only user-centred design, but seamless integration with existing systems and promotion of the portal’s functionalities to enhance user experience and adoption of the tool.
Patient portals are web-based applications managed by healthcare organisations that aim to support patient appointment bookings, reminders, and secure patient-provider communication. Despite growing evidence of the benefits of online portals such as reduced missed appointments, successful implementation of portals relies on usability, system integration and patient and provider adoption of the tool.
Our aim was to evaluate patient and staff experiences following the implementation of Florence, a patient portal, in a public dental hospital setting.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 patients and 10 administrative staff members at a public dental hospital in Sydney, Australia. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and de-identified transcripts were thematically analysed.
Results
Most patients reported positive perceptions of Florence, with many describing the tool as easy to use, convenient for appointment management, and an improved sense of confidence through appointment reminders. However, some patients reported difficulties accessing the portal and had limited awareness of Florence’s capabilities. Most staff members explained that Florence improved communication (e.g. two-way messaging), task efficiency (e.g. real-time task visibility), and saved time (streamlined some work processes), but the lack of integration with the hospital’s electronic medical record was seen to disrupt workflow.
Discussion and implications
Florence has demonstrated a reasonable fit for patients and staff, offering online appointment management and communication features. However, organisational barriers for staff such as the lack of integration with existing systems and patients’ limited awareness of the tool’s functionalities undermined Florence’s potential to improve patient and staff experience. Achieving a perfect fit between technology and users requires not only user-centred design, but seamless integration with existing systems and promotion of the portal’s functionalities to enhance user experience and adoption of the tool.
Biography
Tamasha Jayawardena is a Research Assistant at the University of Sydney, Digital Health Human Factors Research Group. With a background in qualitative health research, her work focuses on designing and implementing digital tools through a human factors lens to ensure their seamless integration into real-world clinical settings.
