Bridging the gap: Leveraging interpreter collaboration to improve patient portal utilization among Spanish-speaking oncology patients.

254 Background: Patient portals (PP) offer patients more control over their care by allowing them to view results, message providers, schedule visits, and more. Data demonstrate lower PP utilization for those with limited English proficiency, resulting in digital health disparities 1 . This study aims to 1) evaluate barriers to PP activation in a Spanish-speaking oncology population, and 2) evaluate PP activation in this population before and after implementation of a PP in Spanish. Methods: We performed a longitudinal analysis of MyChart registration and usage among English- and Spanish-speaking patients before and after the launch of Spanish MyChart (SMC), a Spanish language PP, at the ambulatory oncology clinic of a tertiary academic medical center in Massachusetts. English- and Spanish-speaking patients with ≥1 oncology encounter during the 6 months before and after SMC implementation were included. Usage was defined as monthly MyChart sessions normalized to unique users. 23 Spanish-speaking oncology patients were surveyed to determine barriers to SMC use, with live interpreter-assisted collection of de-identified surveys. Results: Before SMC, 84% of English-speaking and 64% of Spanish-speaking patients had activated accounts, with an average of 14 and 12 monthly sessions per user, respectively. After implementation of SMC, activation rose to 86% and 68%, with unchanged session averages. Survey results demonstrated that 100% of patients without SMC accounts cited not knowing how to activate the account as a primary factor in lack of utilization. 43% of Spanish-speaking patients were also unaware that the PP was now available in Spanish. In-person interpreter-assisted survey distribution increased the number of survey respondents by over threefold compared to ambulatory representative-based distribution, over a much shorter period. Conclusions: Despite language-concordant portal availability, disparities in PP utilization persist among Spanish-speaking oncology patients. Limited PP access may exacerbate disparities in communication, treatment adherence, and timely care coordination for non-English proficient patients. Survey results highlight patient interest in PP functionality, with lack of awareness posing a barrier to SMC implementation. Interpreter-facilitated outreach significantly improved engagement and may serve as an effective QI strategy to promote equitable digital access and enhance care delivery for with populations with limited English proficiency. 1. Higashi RT et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1;8(5):e2510386.