A European survey of older peoples’ preferences, and perceived barriers and facilitators to inform development of a medication-related fall-prevention patient portal

Aim: To explore content preferences, potential barriers and facilitators as perceived by European older adults who have experienced falls with regards to using a fall-prevention patient portal, and to explore regional differences between European participants. Findings: About two-thirds of the participants (n = 121) reported interest in a fall-prevention patient portal providing information on risk factors for falls, relevant medical conditions, Fall-Risk Increasing Drugs (FRIDs), and advice on how to manage fall-related conditions. Fees for use and privacy concerns appeared to be the most important barriers, while a user-friendly portal with easily-accessible information and a physician recommendation seemed to be the most important facilitators. A recommendation for portal use by a family member appeared to be a more important facilitator for participants from Southern and Eastern Europe compared to the other regions. Message: There is considerable interest in a fall-prevention patient portal providing personalized treatment advice, used in addition to a consultation with a physician. The barriers and facilitators to using a portal as identified by participants should be taken into account when developing future fall-prevention patient portals in order to optimize clinical effectiveness.