implementation strategies on a patient portal

7 Steps to Implement a New Patient Portal Solution

1. Research different solutions. It’s never wise to select the first tool you come across no matter how promising it may...
2. Look for the right features. When researching potential solutions, look for the features and benefits that are most...
3. Get buy-in from key stakeholders. Before you move forward with...

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What do you need to know about patient portal implementation?

7 Steps to Implement a New Patient Portal Solution 1. Research different solutions. It’s never wise to select the first tool you come across no matter how promising it may... 2. Look for the right features. When researching potential solutions, look for …

How should staff prepare patients for the replacement of patient portals?

 · For the patient portal implementation to be most beneficial, the practice will offer patient education sessions to help patients register and to familiarize them with the portal’s features. In addition, a computer will be placed in the waiting area so staff can help patients register with the portal on the spot.

How do patients Register on the patient portal?

 · Future research should focus on effectively describing and evaluating the implementation strategies that surround multi-institutional patient portals (eg, the use of champions, patient and provider training, addressing beliefs, etc) to identify effective strategies for promoting uptake.

How should clinic staff inform patients of the new portal?

Background: Comprehensive multi-institutional patient portals that provide patients with web-based access to their data from across the health system have been shown to improve the …

How do you optimize patient portals for patient engagement?

Make enrollment open to all patients. Have staff manage portal workflow and communication before engaging providers directly. Aim to establish efficient workflows and policies, and avoid burdening providers with troubleshooting during initial rollout. The whole staff should be involved in promoting the patient portal.

What is the nurse's role in implementation of patient portals in healthcare?

Nurses encourage patients to enroll in the portals, wear buttons to welcome questions from patients and their families, explain the portal's privacy and security features, and demonstrate how to look up test results, send and receive provider messages, and request prescription refills.

What elements should be incorporated into 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 makes a great patient portal?

In order to help you evaluate common portal capabilities, we asked patients which portal features they would need the most: Scheduling appointments online. Viewing health information (e.g., lab results or clinical notes) Viewing bills/making payments.

What are the benefits and challenges of implementing a patient portal?

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.

How do patient portals improve nursing practice?

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.

When did the medical field start using patient portals?

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.

What is the National Learning Consortium?

The National Learning Consortium (NLC) is a virtual and evolving body of knowledge and resources designed to support healthcare providers and health IT professionals working towards the implementation, adoption and meaningful use of certified EHR systems.

What are the different types of patient portals?

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 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?

About seven in 10 individuals cited their preference to speak with their health care provider directly as a reason for not using their patient portal within the past year. About one-quarter of individuals who did not view their patient portal within the past year reported concerns about privacy and security..

Why are patients interested in portals?

Patients may be especially interested in the portal at particular moments, such as when they are frustrated with telephone wait times or playing “telephone tag.” Staff members take these opportunities to encourage patients to use the portal.

What are the benefits of patient portal?

Reaction to the patient portal implementation has been very positive. Patients appreciate the convenience, for example, of being able to contact the practice at any time of day or night . For many patients, the use of Web-based information and electronic communication is “second nature”; consequently, they are comfortable using the portal. As one clinician observed, “Lots of patients are accustomed to using electronic communication now. They don’t want to have to pick up the phone anymore.” Clinicians and staff members appreciate that the portal reduces call volume and “provides a fluid line of communication that works well.” They noted that communication via the portal helped to reduce miscommunication and delays that sometimes occur with phone communication.

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.

What are the limitations of EHR?

The limitations of the EHR and the patient portal have presented challenges, such as the inability to send clinical summaries to patients via the portal. The practice can only move ahead with certain aspects of patient and family engagement as quickly as the system is upgraded.

Do patients need to be educated about clinical summaries?

The providers noted that patients need to be educated about clinical summaries, otherwise “many clinical summaries are likely to end up in the trash.” Consequently, providers explain the contents, purpose, and benefits of the clinical summary to patients.

MIPS and Patient Portals

Use your portal to help achieve some of the MIPS advancing care information (ACI) mea­sures and improvement activities.

Strategy 2: Monitor Your Portal

Plan ahead. One of the greatest errors a practice can make is setting up a portal without first determining how it will be used to interact with patients and who on your staff should be involved with its day-to-day use, cautioned Mr. Daigrepont.

Strategy 3: Market Your Portal

No matter how functional and well honed your portal is, implementation will not be effective without a mar­keting campaign that involves patient education and portal promotion.

Strategy 4: Learn From Your Portal

All correspondence that comes in to or goes out of your practice via the portal is documented within the system, so relevant reports can easily be generated.

1. Communicate early on with staff about plans to implement a new technology

Early communication with providers and staff about the decision to implement a patient portal or patient engagement mobile app will lead to a higher buy-in rate. It is important to provide as much information as possible about the technology and to be proactive in answering questions such as:

2. Assign roles and responsibilities for overseeing specific aspects of the technology

Implementing patient engagement technology will simplify many administrative tasks, but it is going to require making a few changes in order to handle some new responsibilities that stem from the software.

3. Start a campaign to encourage patient adoption of the new technology

Whether you want patients to use the technology to attest for MACRA or simply to help improve treatment outcomes, the first way to increase patient portal adoption is to raise awareness.

Why are patient portals important?

Patient portals are an important regulatory requirement, with both meaningful use and MACRA’s Quality Payment Program calling for the tools in their final rules going into 2017. Beyond the regulatory requirements, industry experts have long lauded patient portals as the key to digital patient engagement.

Why is marketing important in a patient portal replacement?

Although patients are familiar with the tool and already have accounts, it will be necessary for clinic and hospital staff to inform patients of the new technology and any enrollment steps patients must take. Staff should inform patients about the reasons for the replacement, what the new benefits will be, and the portal’s security level.

What is the best strategy for creating provider input?

The best strategies for creating provider input is to ask providers what they want or need for patients, and also how features may impact clinical workflows.

What is strong secure messaging?

Strong secure messaging support and seamless patient data access lets patients and providers take advantage of relationship-building functions.

Who is the Cerner Director and General Manager of Member Engagement?

Cerner Director and General Manager of Member Engagement Zach Wood pointed out in a past interview that this approach can help create better communication lines, leading to higher patient satisfaction.

How can practice improve patient engagement?

Practices may see patient engagement improvements by selecting the right patient portal for the organization’s needs and involving patients and clinicians in the process.

What should staff inform patients about?

Staff should inform patients about the reasons for the replacement, what the new benefits will be, and the portal’s security level. Ultimately, the patient portal’s success will rely on how the patients use it with their providers. Meaningful patient portal use depends on strong secure messaging habits and data access.