how to evaluate a patient portal

Conduct a mixed-method evaluation of an inpatient portal’s use and related impacts on usability, use, and experience through a three-track evaluation approach. Build a Logic Model for assessment of an inpatient personal health record, drawing upon the knowledge gained in the first aim.

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How do we assess the quality of patient portal studies?

Finally, in lieu of assessing the methodological quality of these wide-ranging patient portal studies, we assessed quality based on two criteria: the quality of the journals in which articles were published based on their 2019 impact factor (except in one instance where the 2018 impact factor was used), and the citation count of each article.

What is a patient portal?

A patient portal is a secure online website, managed by a health care organization, that provides patients access to their personal health information [1-3]. Portals were developed to provide patients with a platform through which to claim ownership over their health care.

How do patient portals affect patient engagement and satisfaction?

Use of patient portals has been associated with positive outcomes in patient engagement and satisfaction. Portal studies have also connected portal use, as well as the nature of users’ interactions with portals, and the contents of their generated data to meaningful cost and quality outcomes.

Is there a systematic review of measurement of patient portal utilization?

No known review has systematically assessed the measurements used to investigate patient portal utilization. Objective The objective of this study was to apply systematic review criteria to identify and compare methods for quantifying and reporting patient portal use.

What do you look for 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...

How do you improve patient portals?

Here are some ways to encourage patient enrollment:Include information about the patient portal on your organization's website.Provide patients with an enrollment link before the initial visit to create a new account.Encourage team members to mention the patient portal when patients call to schedule appointments.More items...•

Why do patient portals fail?

Conversely, most portals greet patients with inadequate functionality, confusing formatting, and hard to understand health data. Patients often lose interest in these portals, unsure of how to take advantage of any of their promised offerings.

What are the pros and cons of patient portals?

What are the Top Pros and Cons of Adopting Patient Portals?Pro: Better communication with chronically ill patients.Con: Healthcare data security concerns.Pro: More complete and accurate patient information.Con: Difficult patient buy-in.Pro: Increased patient ownership of their own care.

Why are patient portals beneficial?

Patient portals provide the ability for patients to have 24-hour access to connect with their provider by reviewing patient health information (PHI), asking and answering questions, and reviewing notes, making the patient-physician relationship closer than ever.

What safeguards are in place for patient portals?

Patient portals have privacy and security safeguards in place to protect your health information. To make sure that your private health information is safe from unauthorized access, patient portals are hosted on a secure connection and accessed via an encrypted, password-protected logon.

Are patient portals effective?

Engaging patients in the delivery of health care has the potential to improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Patient portals may enhance patient engagement by enabling patients to access their electronic medical records (EMRs) and facilitating secure patient-provider communication.

What is a reason for providers to be reluctant to use a patient portal?

The reason why most patients do not want to use their patient portal is because they see no value in it, they are just not interested. The portals do not properly incentivize the patient either intellectually (providing enough data to prove useful) or financially.

How do you optimize patient portals for patient engagement and meet meaningful use requirements?

Meet Meaningful Use Requirements The portal must be engaging and user- friendly, and must support patient-centered outcomes. The portal also must be integrated into clinical encounters so the care team uses it to convey information, communicate with patients, and support self-care and decision-making as indicated.

What are the disadvantages of using a patient portal?

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.

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.

Are patient portals confidential?

(a) Patient Portal is intended as a secure online means for you to access your confidential medical record information. Please note that if you share your Patient Portal user name and password with another person, this will allow that person to see your confidential medical record information.

1. What Information Do My Patients Want Access To?

It’s important to first understand what your patients want, and then ensure that your patient portal offers that. Implementing a patient portal is time and cost-intensive. It also requires your patients’ buy-in. They have to feel that it’s worth logging in.

2. How Does It Comply With HIPAA Regulations?

When sharing any personal information, it’s important to ensure that it’s being shared through a secure server. The patient portal should have secure measures in place, as well as a clear plan to show you how it’s complying with HIPAA and ensuring your customers’ information is kept safe.

3. Is It Customizable?

One size does not fit all. What works for one practice won’t be exactly what another practice needs. And the information made readily available to patients may differ patient to patient. So, it’s important to find out whether or not the patient portal can be customized to fit your needs.

4. Is It Compatible With Mobile Devices?

You have to meet your patients where they’re at. And they’re on-the-go and constantly connected to mobile devices. Your patient portal needs to be mobile compatible.

5. Who Will Be In Charge of Managing It?

This question is easy to overlook in the initial stages of considering patient portal options. However, it’s a very important question to ask earlier rather than later. There’s a lot to manage up front when implementing a patient portal.

Introduction

Patient portals have become the cornerstone of modern healthcare experiences: They help to further engage patients, simplify practice workflows, and improve health outcomes as a whole.

Patient Features

An intuitive, well-designed user experience (UX) is what separates the most lacking patient portals from the best.

Provider Features

Like patients, specific portal features are particularly beneficial for healthcare organizations and providers. They can improve care quality, streamline operations, and even improve profitability and support the practice as it grows. Those include:

Integration Features

Perhaps the biggest hurdle practices face when changing patient portals are the challenges associated with the actual migration. The inability to create a seamless transition from one portal to the next can create headaches for providers and a poor experience for patients.

Assessment Results

1-5: Unfortunately, your patient portal could be harming your care experience for patients and creating inefficiencies for your staff.

How to get the most value from an EHR?

To get the most value from an EHR, practices will need to invest time in training and preparation. Some customization of the system will likely be needed based on how the practice functions and the individual work styles of the various providers.

How long does it take for a nurse to respond to a patient?

The practice established standards for response times of within 4 hours for more urgent questions to 2 days for prescription refills