is a portal the same as a patient health record

by Garnett Gislason 8 min read

Personal health records and patient portals - Mayo Clinic

6 hours ago  · PHRs, EHRs and patient portals. PHRs are not the same as electronic health records (EHRs), also called electronic medical records (EMRs), which are owned and maintained by doctors' offices, hospitals or health insurance plans. EHRs typically contain the same basic information you would put in a PHR, such as your date of birth, medication list and drug allergies. >> Go To The Portal


April 25, 2022 - Patient portals and personal health records (PHRs) are two primary patient engagement technologies enabling patient data access. Still, it can be hard to distinguish between the two. These tools have a lot of overlapping features, leading some healthcare professionals to use the terms interchangeably.

PHRs, EHRs and patient portals
PHRs are not the same as electronic health records (EHRs), also called electronic medical records (EMRs), which are owned and maintained by doctors' offices, hospitals or health insurance plans.

Full Answer

How do patient portals and personal health records differ?

 · PHRs, EHRs and patient portals. PHRs are not the same as electronic health records (EHRs), also called electronic medical records (EMRs), which are owned and maintained by doctors' offices, hospitals or health insurance plans. EHRs typically contain the same basic information you would put in a PHR, such as your date of birth, medication list and drug allergies.

What are the pros and cons of personal health records?

 · Patient portals and personal health records (PHRs) have both received considerable praise for their role in increasing patient engagement. However, distinguishing between the two forms of health IT tools can often be difficult, due to nebulous definitions and overlapping features.

How to get your patients to use your patient portal?

 · The Difference Between Patient Portals and Personal Health Records. Two of the most buzzed-about words in healthcare today are patient portals and personal health records (PHRs). Both of them have tremendous potential for boosting patient engagement, and it can be difficult to distinguish the differences between the two due to vague definitions and plenty of …

How to access patient portal?

 · The Portal is controlled by the source system (EMR/EHR/Hospital). On the other hand, the Personal Health Record (PHR) is more patient centric, is controlled by a patient or family member, and may or may not be connected to a doctor or hospital (i.e. it may be tethered or untethered). Information in the PHR is shared at the discretion of the patient.

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

The Portal is controlled by the source system (EMR/EHR/Hospital). On the other hand, the Personal Health Record (PHR) is more patient centric, is controlled by a patient or family member, and may or may not be connected to a doctor or hospital (i.e. it may be tethered or untethered).

What is a patient portal called?

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.

What is a portal in healthcare?

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.

Are patient portals part of EHR?

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.

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 should be 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 five main features of the new healthcare portal?

Five key features to look for in an EHR patient portalEasy to follow user interface. ... Messaging and communication. ... Registration. ... Scheduling. ... Enhanced security.

What information is excluded from a patient portal?

However, it also had to exclude behavioral health, protected minor visits, research records, business records, and other sensitive record content. The portal automatically downloads or excludes documents based on type or provider, says Meadows, who helped solidify a process for integrating the portal with the EHR.

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..

What is patient portal in EMR?

A patient portal that is accessed through a secure login. It includes a Personal Health Record (PHR) and allows your practice and patients to exchange information securely and in full compliance with HIPAA. Having a patient portal is one of the many requirements for Meaningful Use. A data collection vehicle.

What makes the patient portal different from a PHR?

Patient portals are distinct from PHRs because they are tethered to the clinician-facing EHR. Most EHR vendors sell patient portals as a part of the overall software suite, and patient portals came to prominence as a part of meaningful use requirements.

What is in a health record?

A health record (also known as a medical record) is a written account of a person's health history. It includes medications, treatments, tests, immunizations, and notes from visits to a health care provider.

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: Some patient portals also allow patients to:

How does a PHR help patients?

Other studies have also indicated that patient data access via PHR or patient portal can help improve outcomes.

When did Google Health shut down?

However, the company failed to spark consumer interest, and eventually shut down the product on January 1, 2013.

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: 1 Recent doctor visits 2 Discharge summaries 3 Medications 4 Immunizations 5 Allergies 6 Lab results

What is a tethered PHR?

The ONC’s definition of a tethered PHR is very similar to the definition that the agency provides for patient portals: 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.

When did Google Health shut down?

However, the company failed to spark consumer interest, and eventually shut down the product on January 1, 2013.

What is a patient portal?

Patient portals are secure websites or apps that allow patients access around the clock to their personal health information over an internet connection. Each patient will have a separate secure username and password, and those can be used to see a wide range of information including: Notes from recent office visits.

How do portals help patients?

Patient portals have already been shown to be powerful tools for increasing patient engagement and empowerment. One report from AHIMA found that patients who access health information via portals or PHRs: 1 Had broader knowledge of what health concerns they are currently facing 2 Improved their health literacy 3 Deepened their ability to engage in informed conversations with healthcare providers 4 Initiated changes in their life to be healthier 5 Decreased their utilization of in-office healthcare services

What is a tethered PHR?

A tethered PHR is an online interface that is directly tied to an electronic health record (EHR), and it allows patients to view and interact with their health data. For example, a patient would be able to quickly see their immunization history or lab results, or due dates for preventative care screenings, safely online. Whenever a patient health record is connected to a medical record, it is considered protected by HIPAA. Depending on who you ask, that definition of PHRs could look very similar to the definition for patient portals.

What is a vetter enterprise?

Vetters Enterprises specializes in practice management, private practice business support and revenue cycle optimization. We can perform in-depth assessments of your practice or facility and identify potential issues. Let us keep your business as healthy as you keep your patients! Give us a call at (443) 352-0088.

What is patient portal?

The patient portal is more than just a requirement for a practice, it is a tool that will help a practice thrive and succeed in providing quality patient care. If you are interested in finding out more about the benefits of a patient portal or seeing a life demo, contact us.

What are the benefits of patient portal?

While there are many benefits associated with the patient portal for physicians, one of the main benefits is the effect it has on accuracy and efficiency within the office. No longer does your office receive an abundance of calls about payments, scheduling, or questions.

Why is a patient portal important?

The patient portal also helps to make sure all patient information is secure and accurate, decreasing the likelihood of misunderstood or miscommunicated information. Even if a patient does call the office with questions, the staff can point them in the direction of the patient portal to get the patient registered.

What is portal in EHR?

In the EHR model, the portal is an extension of a vendor’s core electronic health record system. A Healthcare organization will usually launch the portal at the same time or shortly after the activation of the core EHR. Most of the data that patients see when they log into the portal is only from that organization’s system.

What is progress note?

The progress note is written in medical terminology, and is not directed toward the patient. A patient can specifically request to view progress notes through formal records requests, but this is not a routine practice for most patients.

What is meaningful use?

Meaningful use is the Federal legislation that mandates the use of Healthcare Technology for most providers in the US. It has three stages phased in over several years. Each stage has requirements that increase from previous stages.

How long does an authorization code last?

The authorization code automatically expires if they don’t finish the process, usually from between 14 and 30 days. Healthcare organizations who are trying to increase their portal sign-up ratio prefer the first option because it gets the sign-up process out of the way.

What is EHR portal?

EHR (e lectronic health records) is a patient portal but with more advanced features.

What is an EHR app?

EHR (electronic health records) is a patient portal but with more advanced features. Apart from communication with doctors, EHR apps also contain lab results, demographics, treatment history, etc. EHR app can be used for immediate remote care. EHR apps can be used by different doctors.

What is the difference between EMR and EHR?

EMR is a narrower view of a patient's medical history, while an EHR is a more comprehensive report of the patient's overall health. Here are a few more ways EMRs and EHRs differ: An EMR is mainly used by providers for diagnosis and treatment. EMRs are not designed to be shared outside the individual practice.

Electronic Medical Records

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are digital versions of the paper charts in clinician offices, clinics, and hospitals. EMRs contain notes and information collected by and for the clinicians in that office, clinic, or hospital and are mostly used by providers for diagnosis and treatment.

Electronic Health Records

Electronic health records (EHRs) are built to go beyond standard clinical data collected in a provider’s office and are inclusive of a broader view of a patient’s care.

Personal Health Records

Personal health records (PHRs) contain the same types of information as EHRs—diagnoses, medications, immunizations, family medical histories, and provider contact information—but are designed to be set up, accessed, and managed by patients.

For More Information

For more information on EMR s, EHR s, and PHR s, see the following resources.

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What Is A Personal Health Record?

What Is A Patient Portal?

  • Patient portals are distinct from PHRs because they are tethered to the clinician-facing EHR. Most EHR vendors sell patient portals as a part of the overall software suite, and patient portals came to prominence as a part of meaningful use requirements. Patient portals, like PHRs, facilitate patient data access by granting patients unfettered acces...
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Comparing Phrs Versus Patient Portals

  • PHRs and patient portals generally accomplish the same goals: they facilitate patient data access, which some experts say can help boost patient engagement. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, patient data access can also help consumers navigate everyday life; they offer quick access to vaccination records or COVID-19 test results. That begs the question: should patients have a PH…
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Is The Time Ripe For Patient Data Access?

  • Regardless of the medium, some experts say healthcare is entering an age of patient data access. As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the nation, patients became more curious about their health. That curiosity, coupled with the care delays prompted by the initial pandemic shutdowns, brought many to explore where they are with their health, wellness, and preventive services—something t…
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