A new survey reveals that health care portals aren’t being used as often as some benefits professionals might think.

The latest consumer insights report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions, “Healthcare Portal Utilization and Security,” suggests “a strong and immediate need for health care organizations to implement more robust identity verification solutions to enhance security while maintaining a smooth and engaging user experience.”

While online portals help health care providers contain operational costs, they are easy targets for cybercriminals because of the vast amounts of sensitive data available, along with sometimes weaker security protocols.

Here are three main takeaways from the survey:

  1. About half of respondents access online health care platforms less than once a month. The top three reasons patients opt not to use a portal include the preference to talk with a human being instead (36%), a lack of awareness (27%), and security concerns (17%). On the other hand, they like relying on a portal to view test results, schedule appointments, and message a provider.
  2. The lack of awareness that portals even exist — even among digitally fluent younger users — indicates a “pressing need for education, accessibility improvements, and increased trust in digital health care tools,” according to the report.
  3. There is a disconnect between patients’ perception of effective identity verification and the reality of cybersecurity threats. The reports notes that a majority respondents (58%) selected username and password as the most preferred form of identity verification, and more than half (52%) believe it is the most effective form of identity verification. In reality, one million passwords are stolen every week, according to research.

The report is based on a survey conducted in March of more than 3,000 adults in the United States age 18 and older.

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