| Sumario: | Accessing patient portals via mobile technology has been proposed as an approach to reach vulnerable populations that may have limited access to portals through other means. Given the ubiquity of smartphones and their availability among individuals in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, healthcare providers may assume these individuals will use mobile applications to access portals. This study explores characteristics of individuals using a patient portal in Ohio, with a particular focus on those who choose to access the portal via a mobile application. The results show that individuals who were black, living outside of the Columbus metropolitan area, enrolled in Medicaid, or unemployed had lower odds of being mobile portal users than individuals who were white and nonHispanic, living in the Columbus metropolitan area, commercially insured, or employed. As a result of this insight, healthcare providers may wish to reconsider future strategies to extend patient portal use specifically to underserved groups.
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