can patients communicate with specialists in patient portal

by Melyssa Corwin MD 7 min read

Patient Portal Increases Communication Between …

21 hours ago  · Medical assistants promoted the patient portal as a way for patients to establish a direct line of communication with their provider. Patients registered with the portal can avoid using the BVCHC call center, which receives a large volume of calls. Meaningful Use Objectives Addressed by Creating a Patient Portal >> Go To The Portal


Patient portal registration: Medical assistants promoted the patient portal as a way for patients to establish a direct line of communication with their provider. Patients registered with the portal can avoid using the BVCHC call center, which receives a large volume of calls.

Full Answer

Do patients and caregivers use portals to communicate with healthcare staff?

Patients and caregivers expressed interest in using portals to communicate with health care staff [6,24,30,36] but not many actually used this feature [30,44]

Why do patients find it difficult to use patient portals?

Some participants had difficulties using patient portals mainly because of complex portal interfaces [19,24,32-34] Some patients found patient portals easy to use [17,30,35-37] Barriers Lack of appropriate training [33] Doubt of the portal’s usefulness [38] Lost passwords [38,39] Difficulties in using portals [16,33,34]

What is the patient portal messaging function?

BVCHC implemented NextGen’s Patient Portal system in December 2010 with a secure messaging function that supports communication between patients and providers. Respond to patient messages in between seeing patients to complete tasks more efficiently and avoid “phone tag” with patients

How can providers encourage patients to enroll in the portal?

BVCHC found it helpful to designate point persons for portal enrollment, such as medical assistants, to engage patients one on one. Consequently, providers are not burdened with the enrollment process, but they can encourage patients to use the portal.

What information can be accessed through a patient portal?

The features of patient portals may vary, but typically you can securely view and print portions of your medical record, including recent doctor visits, discharge summaries, medications, immunizations, allergies, and most lab results anytime and from anywhere you have Web access.

What are some of the options patients can utilize in a patient portal?

Patient portals can enhance patient-provider communication and enable patients to check test results, refill prescriptions, review their medical record, and view education materials.

What are the disadvantages of patient portals?

Even though they should improve communication, there are also disadvantages to patient portals....Table of ContentsGetting Patients to Opt-In.Security Concerns.User Confusion.Alienation and Health Disparities.Extra Work for the Provider.Conclusion.

How do I send a message on patient portal?

0:050:49Patient Portal – How to Send a Direct Message to Your Provider?YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOnce you go ahead and select a subject go ahead and type in your messages. And go ahead and hit sendMoreOnce you go ahead and select a subject go ahead and type in your messages. And go ahead and hit send message that will send the message to the necessary recipient.

Why do patients not use patient portals?

The researchers found no demographic differences among nonusers who said that a technology hurdle, lack of internet access or no online medical record was the reason why they did not make use of a patient portal.

Do patients like patient portals?

Eight studies reported that patients or their caregivers want more portal education, training, or support. Two studies found that their participants want human connection as they learn about the portal and how to use it, as well as when they encounter issues.

What is the most common barrier to the use of the patient portal?

Among nonadopters (n=2828), the most prevalent barrier to patient portal adoption was patient preference for in-person communication (1810/2828, 64.00%) (Table 2). The second most common barrier was no perceived need for the patient portal (1385/2828, 48.97%).

Can patient portals be hacked?

Unfortunately, what makes your patient portal valuable for patients is exactly what makes it attractive to cybercriminals. It's a one-stop shop for entire health records, and identity thieves can make a fast buck from stealing this data and selling it on.

Can you think of any potential disadvantages of patients using the patient portal system within the EHR?

One con to keep in mind with patient portals is that some patients may not have much experience with computers, preventing them from getting the most out of it. Another drawback is the potential for data breaches, so you'll need to work with a vendor that provides robust, secure EHR software.

What is a Patient Portal message?

Patient portal secure messaging (asynchronous electronic communication between physicians and their established patients) allows patients to manage their care through asynchronous, direct communication with their providers.

How do you reply to a message in Patient Portal?

Read and Reply to a Patient Portal Message Double-click on a portal message on the Messaging queue to open it. Inside the portal message protocol, you can read the full text of the portal message, review any attachments, and type a response and send it to the family member.

How do you send pictures on Patient Portal?

0:071:33Attaching an Image to a Message through the Patient Portal - MobileYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd in order to create a message on a phone or a tablet the little square box with the pencil in theMoreAnd in order to create a message on a phone or a tablet the little square box with the pencil in the upper right hand corner is how to create a message.

Why is portal important?

The portal has proven to offer a much better means of communication. The care team is now able to keep in contact with patients more reliably and ask them direct questions when needed. Using the portal has enabled the organization to be more transparent and interactive with patients, and to proactively send patients the information they need.

What is the FQHC portal?

The FQHC sees improved communication between patients and providers, and views every instance when a patient emails a provider, nurse, or health coach as an opportunity to take a step towards better health. Patients find the portal to be useful and convenient, as it provides direct access to their health care and information as they need it. The portal supports the organizations philosophy of person-centered and respectful care, and perceives a resulting increase in responsibility and ownership among patients. Now that patients have a greater familiarity and comfort level with technology, the organization is planning to use telemedicine to offer virtual appointments to some patients.

What is the process of communication between two clinicians?

Communication processes can occur at the same time, such as verbal communication between two clinicians, or at different times, such as written communication where a clinician documents a patient’s goals, assessments and care plan in the healthcare record, which is later read by another clinician.

What is the importance of communication in healthcare?

Communication is a core clinical skill that can be developed and improved with practice, experience, continuous learning, mentorship and support. Effective communication has a significant positive influence on patient experience and satisfaction.

Why is poor communication important?

Poor communication contributes to teamwork failures, errors, misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. It is important to tailor your communication and consider the health literacy needs of patients, families and carers. This includes providing an opportunity to clarify the information received and to check understanding.

How does a patient impact a patient's care?

with a patient can profoundly impact on a person’s care experience, and it has been shown that effective communication and engagement with patients. (link is external) can positively influence person’s health outcomes, reduce readmission to hospital following discharge, and prevent adverse events during care.

What are the factors that affect post discharge care transitions?

Poor communication and transfer of information at discharge can result in an increasing number of readmissions, with lack of effective of communication between health professionals cited as the primary factor that affects post-discharge care transitions.

What are the causes of sentinel events in hospitals?

Communication problems are a major contributing factor of hospital sentinel events. Communication failures one of the most commonly cited underlying causes of complaints about the healthcare system. Poor medication management and communication can significantly increase the risk of adverse drug events.

What is the way in which information is exchanged?

It involves several components – the sender (the person who is communicating the information); the receiver (the person receiving the information); the message (the information that is communicated); and the channel of communication.

Why is sharing your trusted products important?

Sharing your trusted products helps them make informed decisions. These should be relevant to your practice. For example, dentists can send coupons for oral care products. Members of Delta Dental can take advantage of offers on electric toothbrushes and replacement heads.

Do HIPAA regulations require email communication?

Do: Learn The Legal Constraints. As with everything in healthcare, there are legal restraints when it comes to email communication. HIPAA requires constant protection of electronic communication between patients and regarding their information.

Do patients reach out to you?

Patients are going to reach out to you to get medical advice. It’s inevitable when there’s two-way communication. While you may be able to answer some of their concerns confidently and easily, it’s important not to give out advice before you’ve assessed a patient.

Can you give out medical advice to someone else?

You can’t give out medical advice for someone that isn’t your patient. You should share all policies that you have regarding patient communication.

Is it easy to get in touch with someone electronically?

It’s so easy to get in touch with someone electronically today. Entire conversations can happen in a matter of minutes. Thus, it’s an expectation from patients to have the ability to reach out to their doctor at an instant. There’s no longer an exception within healthcare.