health affairs patient portal

What is a patient portal?

A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient, 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. Using a secure username and password, patients can view health information such as: Recent doctor visits; Discharge summaries; Medications; Immunizations; Allergies; Lab results

How do patient portal users access their health information in 2020?

★ About one in five patient portal users (22%) accessed their health information using both a smartphone health app and a computer in 2020. ★ Patient portal users most commonly accessed their health information through a computer (83%) – six in 10 portal users accessed their health information using only this method.

How many Americans have access to their patient portal?

About 6 in 10 individuals nationwide were offered access to their patient portal by a health care provider or insurer, and nearly 4 in 10 individuals (38 percent) reported that they accessed their portal at least once in 2020.

How many patient portal users exchanged secure messages with their provider?

★ About six in 10 patient portal users exchanged secure messages with their health care provider in 2020 – this represents a 10 percentage point increase from 2017.

Who isn't using patient portals and why?

Sixty-three percent reported not using a portal during the prior year. In multivariable analysis, we found that nonusers were more likely to be male, be on Medicaid, lack a regular provider, and have less than a college education, compared to users.

What is the most popular patient portal?

Top 10 Patient Portal Software By EMRSystemsEpic EHR Software's MyChart.athenahealth EMR Software's athenaCommunicator.PrognoCIS EMR Software.Cerner Specialty Practice Management Software.eClinicalWorks EMR Software's Patient Portal and Healow App.Greenway PrimeSUITE EHR Software.NextGen Healthcare EHR Software.More items...•

What is EHR patient portal?

Electronic health record (EHR) patient portals provide a means by which patients can access their health information, including diagnostic test results. Little is known about portal usage by emergency department (ED) patients.

Is patient portal an app?

The PatientPORTAL App connects you, the patient, with your healthcare provider. The App enables you to view upcoming appointments and lab results, as well as send and receive secure messages for yourself and any dependents that you may have for easy communication with your provider.

What types of patient portals are there?

There are two main types of patient portals: a standalone system and an integrated service. Integrated patient portal software functionality usually comes as a part of an EMR system, an EHR system or practice management software. But at their most basic, they're simply web-based tools.

What is the difference between EMR and EHR?

Although some clinicians use the terms EHR and EMR interchangeably, the benefits they offer vary greatly. An EMR (electronic medical record) is a digital version of a chart with patient information stored in a computer and an EHR (electronic health record) is a digital record of health information.

How do you use patient portal?

If your provider offers a patient portal, you will need a computer and internet connection to use it. Follow the instructions to register for an account. Once you are in your patient portal, you can click the links to perform basic tasks. You can also communicate with your provider's office in the message center.

What is the difference between personal health records and patient portals?

PHRs, EHRs and patient portals EHRs typically contain the same basic information you would put in a PHR , such as your date of birth, medication list and drug allergies. But EHRs contain more extensive information because they're used by health care providers to store visit notes, test results and much more.

What should be included in a patient portal?

A robust patient portal should include the following features:Clinical summaries.Secure (HIPAA-compliant) messaging.Online bill pay.New patient registration.Ability to update demographic information.Prescription renewals and contact lens ordering.Appointment requests.Appointment reminders.More items...

What are the benefits of patient portals or applications for record sharing?

Helps patients better understand and remember information about their medical condition and care plan, and gives patients the opportunity to review information when and where it is convenient for them. Bolsters patient adherence to healthcare advice, reinforces positive behaviours.

What is epic Hello patient?

MyChart's Hello Patient feature leverages geolocation capabilities on iOS and Android devices to detect when a patient arrives for an appointment. If the patient has completed all check in tasks ahead of time, the patient can be automatically checked in without even needing to visit the front desk.

Which of the following is a challenge in the implementation of electronic health records?

Challenges of electronic health records infrastructure are due to information technology, lack of uniform definitions and concepts, cultural problems, and lack of needs assessment before implementation and the challenges of structural are due to instability enforced, violations of privacy and legal cases, compromise ...

Lessons From More Than A Decade In Patient Portals

Many of us look forward to a time when the experience of interacting with our health care providers will be as consumer-friendly and technology-enabled as, for example, using an ATM or Uber.

Early Implementation And Growth Of Patient Portals

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the earliest adopters of patient portals began offering electronic tools for patient-centered communication, often “tethered” to their integrated electronic health record system.

Lessons Learned

From more than a decade of experience engaging patients online, we offer four key lessons.

Moving Forward

Within 10 years, Kaiser Permanente’s patient portal has become a cornerstone of how we deliver care. According to our research, patients using the portal reported feeling:

Summary

Individuals’ rates of being offered and subsequently accessing their patient portal increased significantly between 2018 and 2019, but did not change in 2020.

Data Source and Methods

Data are from the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS).

Suggested Citation

Johnson C, Richwine C, & Patel V. (September 2021). Individuals’ Access and Use of Patient Portals and Smartphone Health Apps, 2020. ONC Data Brief, no.57. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology: Washington DC.

Where is Your Vaccine Record?

If you want to go out to eat or get a booster shot, you might need your COVID-19 vaccine card. Get step-by-step directions on how to find your vaccine record online.

Better Than a House Call

House calls are mostly a thing of the past, but you can still see your doctor from home. With internet access and a secure video connection, VA Video Connect makes it possible.

The Hip Hinge and Your Lower Back

Your hip hinge helps you sit down, squat, and even pick up your grandkids. Hips are important to many daily movements and help support your lower back.

Origins of The Portal Push

The Extent of Providers’ Obligations

• In effect, the ONC is interpretating the 21st Century Cures Act to mean that patients have the right to obtain their data from health care providers as quickly as possible. Therefore, patient portals—which permit patients to see a significant trove of information about themselves as soon as they log in to the sites—have become a key tool in meeting...

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The Future of Portals