Patient Engagement: Understanding the Information Needs and Motivations of Medicaid Members in Georgia

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis:  The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), in support of the Georgia Department of Community Health, set out to identify and understand the user requirements and desired functionality of an enhanced Medicaid member portal. GTRI leveraged research methodologies grounded in the socio-technical systems theory in order to bridge the gap between the social and technical contexts of the Medicaid population.  GTRI hypothesized that adoption of a member portal, based upon a user-centered design would effectively communicate/disseminate health information to an underserved population long perceived as reluctant to adopt health information technologies.  

Methods:  GTRI employed user-centered (participatory) research methods.  Interviews were conducted with subject matter experts and key stakeholders responsible for the administration and management of health care for Medicaid members. The interviews laid the groundwork for understanding the socio-technical context of the Medicaid Member Population. A web-based survey was distributed to a subset of the current users of the Medicaid web portal. The purpose of the survey was to collect data regarding participant’s demographics, health, and technology usage. User testing data was obtained via user experience prototyping sessions with enrolled Medicaid recipients at the point of care. The resulting qualitative and quantitative data sets were analyzed to identify common themes. 

Results:  GTRI’s research findings indicate that the initial target audience for adoption and utilization of an enhanced Medicaid member portal will be a younger (25 to 45 years of age) female, has at least one family member with a chronic condition in the household, maintains a high technology usage rate, and earns a moderately higher income compared to the greater participant pool. Females represented 83% of survey respondents and 71% of interview participants, potentially representing mothers, as 74% of Georgia Medicaid members are children. 70% of respondents reported one or more chronic condition in their households with 39% reporting two or more. High blood pressure (51.05%) and asthma (43.68%) were the most prevalent chronic conditions reported.  91.42% of survey respondents reported using the internet every day, confirming high tech adoption among the target population. 71% of respondents expressed interest in a free website that allows them to view and manage their family’s health information in one place, indicating the willingness to adopt new technologies within the studied population. 

Conclusions:  The research findings indicate that the following features can help increase utilization of a member-focused health portal: improved website navigation, increased access to claims data, longer password life, attractive fonts, and verifiable up-to-date information. These modifications will improve efforts to effectively communicate health information to underserved populations.

Implications for research and/or practice: This participatory research study demonstrates the value of engaging patients in the research process to lessen health disparities and reduced costs. Further research into the behaviors and predispositions of this population will facilitate proper development of health information technologies tailored to meet the needs of this high cost/high risk population.