patient portal family strategies

What is a patient portal?

Patients who use the portal are nearly 2.6 times more likely to stay patients. ... Annals of Family Medicine. (2014, September/October 2014, Vol. 12, No. 5). ... •irginia-based researchers tracked eight primary care practices to identify successful patient portal V implementation strategies.

How can patient portals boost patient engagement and patient satisfaction?

May 13, 2016 · May 13, 2016 - Patient portals are an online website that is connected to the EHR, centrally focused on patient access to health data. These tools give patients a look into various data points, including lab results, physician notes, their health histories, discharge summaries, and immunizations. While it is standard fare for patient portals to include much of that information, …

Do patient portals improve access to personal health information among older adults?

Feb 07, 2018 · Established in 1990, BVCHC provides a range of services, including pediatric, internal medicine, family medicine, midwifery and obstetrics/gynecology, dental, and behavioral health. BVCHC has six full-time and four part-time physicians, four physician extenders, six nurses, and 10 medical assistants. In 2010, BVCHC provided care to more than ...

How can we engage patients and their families in care?

At this level, patient-centeredness means different things, such as creating patient and family councils, establishing portals that allow patients to access their health information, and developing policies that ensure timely access to care (Balik et al., 2011; Maurer et al., 2012). Given that patients, their families, and other caregivers are the people who actually experience care, …

How do patient portals empower consumers?

When used effectively, patient portals can empower consumers by enabling active management of their own care. However, we know little about how patient portal use fits into the broader personal health information management (PHIM) practices of various groups, such as older adults.

How old are Portal users?

Portal users ranged in age from 61 to 93 years , and most lived independently in a private residence (60%) and had college education or higher (67%). Although portal nonusers were similar in age, fewer were college educated (53%) and more lived in retirement or assisted living facilities (74%).

Why do providers use patient portals?

This is mainly because providers are trying to build a relationship with their patients, not just bolster patient loyalty. For many providers, patient portal use is about building trust and enhancing care.

Why are patient portals important?

Research shows that when patients are able to see their own health data, they gain ownership of their own wellness and are better prepared to interact with their providers about their care.

Why do patients have access to doctors notes?

One study conducted at Geisinger Health showed that patients with access to doctors’ notes actually had higher rates of medication adherence because they were more engaged in and informed of their treatment plans.

What are the features of a portal?

Most portals include features such as direct secure messaging, online appointment scheduling, online bill payments, prescription refill requests, and sometimes even data update capabilities. Just as was discussed above, not all portals will enable all features. While most portals include secure messaging features, ...

Is patient portal adoption increasing?

While patient portal benefits may sound enticing, they aren’t entirely effective if patients do not adopt them. As noted above, patient portal adoption is increasing, but there is still room for it to grow. Several industry experts claim that the burden of bolstering patient portal buy-in lay mostly on the provider.

Why do patients use the patient portal?

Clinicians and staff support the patient portal because it can potentially reduce call volume and may contribute to better informed and more engaged patients.

Why do medical assistants use patient portals?

Medical assistants promoted the patient portal as a way for patients to establish a direct line of communication with their provider. Patients registered with the portal can avoid using the BVCHC call center, which receives a large volume of calls.

What is BVCHC portal?

BVCHC found it helpful to designate point persons for portal enrollment, such as medical assistants, to engage patients one on one. Consequently, providers are not burdened with the enrollment process, but they can encourage patients to use the portal. Moreover, assigning a dedicated triage nurse to serve as the gatekeeper for messages coming through the portal has eased provider concerns about email volume and time required for patient communication.

What is BVCHC in Pawtucket?

BVCHC is a federally-qualified, Joint Commission-accredited health center located in Pawtucket and Central Falls, Rhode Island. Established in 1990, BVCHC provides a range of services, including pediatric, internal medicine, family medicine, midwifery and obstetrics/gynecology, dental, and behavioral health.

Seven tips on how to promote your patient portal

Provide informational handouts at the front desk and in the waiting area that patients can read while they wait for appointments.

Improving the patient experience

Escalating healthcare costs have made your patients more savvy consumers. They shop around and use personal referrals and online reviews to guide their decisions.

Patient messaging: an added benefit

While the patient portal gives your patients the power to schedule appointments and message you with questions and requests, Greenway Health’s Patient Messaging gives you an even more proactive tool to promote your practice.

What are the pros and cons of a patient portal?

Pro: Better communication with chronically ill patients. One of the clearest benefits to a patient portal is the added ability for communication between patients and providers, and these benefits are felt strongest with regard to chronically ill patients. With the secure messaging functions on patient portals, chronically ill patients are able ...

What is portal email?

The portal is just a secure e-mail system that we can use to communicate. You can send me a message and it goes right into your chart, so I have all of your information at hand when I read it and respond. If you use it and don’t like it, you don’t have to continue to use it. Just let us know.

Is a patient portal good?

Although this can be viewed as a good thing because patients do have the right to see their own health data, it also opens doors for security concerns. A patient portal may be just one more place for a potential hacker or healthcare data thief to access a patient’s data, leaving that patient liable to identity theft.