if patient portal does not show result is it positive

by Margie Padberg 4 min read

3 Ways Patient Portals Have a Positive Effect on Patient …

16 hours ago A 2013 survey of patients at Kaiser Permanente, an integrated health care organization, found that a large percentage of patients who had used their portal to access a laboratory result in the last year experienced primarily positive feelings when viewing laboratory results online. 16 … >> Go To The Portal


Even if a test result isn’t recognizably negative, a portal presentation of an uninterpreted report can be painful to patients and certainly unproductive. A recent study found that nearly two-thirds of 95 patients who obtained test results via a portal received no explanatory information about the findings.

Full Answer

Should you get your test results through a portal?

A recent study found that nearly two-thirds of 95 patients who obtained test results via a portal received no explanatory information about the findings. Nearly half ended up conducting online searches or called their doctors. Another usability issue is that many portals are housed within out-of-date or clunky provider websites.

Can patient portals automatically notify patients of abnormal test results?

Our findings have important insights and implications for the future implementation of the use of patient portals for automatic notification of abnormal test results, and how patient engagement providers could leverage to reduce the number of test results overlooked. Acknowledgments Funding

Is portal use harmful to your health?

That echoes a 2016 study led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh. These scientists found that in addition to engaging patients, portal use may increase anxiety and lead to more doctor visits. Among patients with low health literacy and numerical skills, confusion about the meaning of results is common.

Do patients get test results without explanation?

A recent study found that nearly two-thirds of 95 patients who obtained test results via a portal received no explanatory information about the findings. Nearly half ended up conducting online searches or called their doctors.

Do doctors call you if your results are negative?

Do healthcare providers call you if test results show bad news? They may. If results are concerning, they may call you or have a receptionist call to schedule an appointment. 4 A healthcare provider may also call to assure you everything is okay or discuss any needed follow-up tests.

Why has my doctor not called with test results?

And in many cases, doctors may choose not to call patients "because we know that they know we know what's going on, and they trust us, so we don't call unless it's necessary," he says. "We have found when we call patients about lab results, they give us better patient satisfaction scores.

How effective are patient portals?

Patient portal interventions were overall effective in improving a few psychological outcomes, medication adherence, and preventive service use. There was insufficient evidence to support the use of patient portals to improve clinical outcomes.

What type of information can be found on 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.

Can doctors lie about test results?

A doctor's lie is different than a typical lie. A lie is an intentionally false statement, but it can differ from patient to patient. Any lie that causes harm to the patient, masks the doctor's mistakes, covers up medical errors, or disguises fraud, however, is illegal.

Is no news good news after blood work?

“Don't assume that 'no news is good news' when you have tests done. That's a very dangerous assumption. If you've had a test done and you don't hear about it after a week or two goes by, call the doctor's office.”

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.

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.

Why do some patients fail to participate in the use of the 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.

Why is a patient portal important?

A patient portal is a website for your personal health care. The online tool helps you to keep track of your health care provider visits, test results, billing, prescriptions, and so on. You can also e-mail your provider questions through the portal. Many providers now offer patient portals.

Which of the following is a benefit of patient portals?

Patient portals make tasks such as requesting prescription refills and referrals easier and more convenient leads to greater patient compliance – and when patients follow doctors' orders, clinical outcomes improve.

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...•

Why are portals so complicated?

A big issue for many users is that portals are simply too complicated for at least two opposite kinds of users: those who have low computer literacy, and those who are so computer savvy that they expect the simplicity of an Uber or Instagram app to get a test result or appointment with a click or two.

How many benefits do portals provide?

Similarly, healthcare providers can achieve at least three big benefits from patients’ portal-usage: greater efficiencies, cost-savings and improved health outcomes — again, only if patients use their portals. But with only 20% of patients regularly relying on portals, many benefits have been unattainable.

Can rapid access replace patient rights?

Rapid access cannot replace patients’ rights to understand. Even if a test result isn’t recognizably negative, a portal presentation of an uninterpreted report can be painful to patients and certainly unproductive.

Is the portal concept slow?

Acceptance of the portal concept continues to be slow, especially within physicians’ offices and small to middle size hospitals. Though these providers implemented portals via their Meaningful Use / MIPS incentives, portals are often not treated as a central communications tool. Patient engagement? Yes…a laudable objective for policymakers — but many physicians already lament the deep cuts in their daily patient schedule that have been created by complex EHR-related obligations. The added work of portal interaction has been the opposite of a pot-sweetener, despite touted financial benefits.

Why are lab results not automatically updated?

Because of the potentially sensitive nature of lab results, they will not be automatically updated in your Health Center account. While your doctor may be able to confirm that these results are in the system it is important to distinguish that they need to share these results with your Patient Portal Account. ...

Can a health center show your doctor's history?

The Health Center will allow your doctor the option to display appointments, diagnoses, medication history, immunizations and allergies. Information will directly reflect information that has been added to your chart by your doctor. The exception to this is lab results. Because of the potentially sensitive nature of lab results, ...

How many patients use portals?

Lab tests (with few exceptions) are now released directly to patients. Studies estimate that between 15 and 30 percent of patients use portals. The push for portals has been fueled by several factors: the widespread embrace of technology, incentive payments to medical practices and hospitals that were part of 2009 federal legislation ...

Does portal use increase anxiety?

These scientists found that in addition to engaging patients, portal use may increase anxiety and lead to more doctor visits. Among patients with low health literacy and numerical skills, confusion about the meaning of results is common.

Why are some results missing?

The reason for certain results missing is due to the practice/organization you are connected with. The organization sets the parameters/rules for what information flows into your account. They may block certain types of results for different reasons. For example, organizations may block all abnormal results. For Patient A, he will not be able ...

Why can't I see low glucose results?

For Patient A, he will not be able to see the low glucose result because the organization has chosen to block all abnormal results. They could block a result because they deem it as sensitive and do not want that to post to your account, such as HIV testing.

Can you see your 2012 test results?

If you are looking for a test from 2012, you won’t be able to see it in your account. Although they are your records and you are entitled to them, the organization has the ability to block or release certain or all results. If you are noticing that you are missing certain types of results, speak with your practice.