The language of equity in digital health: Prioritizing the needs of limited english proficient communities in the patient portal 2.0

Abstract

Communication barriers faced by limited English proficient (LEP) patients have led to worse outcomes. Such disparities are entrenched in digital health and call into question the impact of tools such as patient portals, the primary digital touchpoint for patients. Over the last decade, portals have been implemented broadly but have done little to address the needs of LEP communities, who make up almost 10% of the U.S. population. The surge in telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has relied in part on portals, increases the urgency for a comprehensive approach to digital disparities. We present recommendations grounded in the 7Ps of Stakeholder Engagement (policymakers, payers, product makers, purchasers, providers, patients, and principal investigators) for the next generation of portals (version 2.0). Our recommendations focus on expanding language accessibility, establishing messaging workflows to integrate language services, extending federal guidelines for language equity, and ensuring digital access and literacy.