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by Leonor Emmerich 10 min read

What is a patient portal? | HealthIT.gov

20 hours ago 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: With your patient portal, you can … >> Go To The 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

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.Sep 29, 2017

Full Answer

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

When is the portal launched in a healthcare?

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.

How many patients use patient portals in the US?

The latest reliable information on patient portal usage statistics comes from an April 2018 data brief from the ONC. The data is from 2017 and reports that 52% of patients in the US had been offered access to their medical information by a physician or insurer.

Do patient portal systems connect to EHRs?

While some of these systems may not connect to EHRs, some Healthcare organizations develop their own apps to get data from their systems to these patient-centered PHRs. The latest reliable information on patient portal usage statistics comes from an April 2018 data brief from the ONC.

What do patient portals include?

Features of patient portals may include secure messaging, after-visit summaries, medication lists, allergy lists, laboratory results, and appointment scheduling. When used effectively, patient portals can empower consumers by enabling active management of their own care.

What are the benefits of using a patient portal?

The truth is, there are a lot of benefits to using a patient portal for providers.Better Patient Communication. ... Streamline Patient Registration and Administrative Tasks. ... Greater Focus on Patient Care. ... Better Patient-Physician Relationships. ... Improve Clinical Outcomes. ... Optimize Medical Office Workflow.

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 is patient portal in EMR?

Electronic health record (EHR) patient portals provide a means by which patients can access their health information, including diagnostic test results.

What are the pros and cons of using 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 can the patient portal affect patient satisfaction?

Early studies of patient portals reported patient benefits including enhanced satisfaction, better relationships with their care providers, more efficient medication refills, and improved understanding of their health information [3,4,11,13-16].

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...•

How do you implement a patient portal?

9 Steps to Implement a New Patient Portal SolutionResearch Different Portal Solutions. ... Look for the Right Portal Features. ... Get Buy-In from Key Stakeholders. ... Evaluate and Enhance Existing Workflows. ... Develop a Comprehensive Onboarding Plan. ... Be Prepared for a Successful Go-Live. ... Seek Out Painless Portal Migration.

How common are patient portals?

Nearly 40 percent of individuals nationwide accessed a patient portal in 2020 – this represents a 13 percentage point increase since 2014. The proportion of individuals who were offered and accessed a patient portal did not increase between 2019 and 2020.

Why is patient portal important in healthcare?

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.

What is a patient portal quizlet?

Terms in this set (25) Patient Portal. Web-based service that provides patients online access to their health information and allows them to communicate with their healthcare provider, schedule appointments, view billing statements, and accomplish more health-related tasks.

When did patient portals start?

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 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 are the disadvantages of patient portals?

As with any written communication, portal messages can be misinterpreted. When patients have more access to the same lab results as providers, they can worry over ranges that may be label as ‘high’ but are not really a problem. Security risks.

How long does it take for EHR to provide timely access to patient information?

Measure 1: More than 50 percent of all unique patients seen by eligible providers during the EHR reporting period are provided timely (available to the patient within 4 business days after the information is available to the provider) online access to their health information.

What are the advantages of a vendor-dependent portal?

1) Clinics who can’t afford or don’t want to pay for a vendor-dependent portal can still get the functionality they need, 2) Patients who seek care from multiple providers can aggregate their health data into one portal.

What is interoperability in healthcare?

Vendors are well aware of this limitation and are working towards providing the ability to bring in data from other Healthcare organizations. This is referred to as interoperability. It is however a work in progress, and various vendors and Healthcare organizations are at different stages.

What is a progress note in a medical chart?

The progress note is written in medical terminology, and is not directed toward the patient.

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.

Patient Portals

More and more doctors, clinics, hospitals, and patients are using something known as patient portals. A patient portal is a secure website that allows patients to access their health information and, in many cases, connect with their physician.

Welcome Screen

Susan has been going to a doctor whose clinic uses MyChart for about a year now. When she logs into her MyChart account the first thing she sees is a welcome screen. The welcome screen contains numerous things. There is a notification section. She sees that she got a notification about a new test result.

Quick Links

The welcome page also contains numerous quick links on the right hand side of her screen. She sees her entire health care team listed on the side here, including all the doctors and specialists that look after her. Other quick links Susan can use include:

Top Navigation Bar

The Top Navigation Bar in MyChart has numerous menus. As of this writing they include the following:

Overview

Patient portals improve the way in which patients and health care providers interact. A product of meaningful use requirements, they were mandated as a way to provide patients with timely access to their health care. Specifically, patient portals give patients access to their health information to take a more active role.

Primary Benefits

No matter the type of platform you choose, your patient portal can provide your patients with secure online access to their medical details and increase their engagement with your practice. And not to mention that it does so while providing several benefits for health care providers as well. Some of these benefits include:

Notable Challenges

While many people have used a patient portal by now, they have mixed reviews at best. As you can see in the section above, there are plenty of benefits that patient portals provide. But unfortunately, their potential has yet to be fully harnessed.

Emerging Trends

If patient portals are a mixed bag, why should the patient portal receive greater consideration in the EHR, EMR and practice management selection processes? Because when you look at current industry trends, patient portals are well on their way to improving. Some of these trends include:

How to Use a Patient Portal

With patient portals, the first and foremost thing you will need is a computer and a working internet connection. Create a customized user’s account in the software to avail medical services on your own. Once you enter the patient portal, click on links and products sold by the provider and tap into a new experience.

Solution Evaluation

Now that you know what a patient portal is and given the potential and growing importance, how should you evaluate the best portal for your practice or facility? You can select a standalone patient portal that a third-party vendor commonly hosts through the cloud as a health care provider.

Final Thoughts

It’s clear that using a patient portal software can provide several benefits for your medical practice. After accounting for these nine considerations, you should be ready to start using a patient portal. The only decision left to make is which platform you’ll use.