patient portals: how to successfully implement a patient portal for meaningful use and beyond

When developing a patient portal, it is useful to have interactive features that are relevant to patient needs. A portal should go beyond merely scheduling features and a method for displaying lab results. Incorporating decision tools and secure messaging capabilities will catalyze the regular use of patient portals.

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What is a patient portal?

Mar 26, 2015 · First, ensuring a portal is user-friendly and engaging is key in meeting this requirement under Stage 2 Meaningful Use. Transitioning toward using this technology during clinical examinations or ...

What is a portal and why do you need one?

Nov 13, 2018 · How to Optimize Patient Portals for Patient Engagement and Meet Meaningful Use Requirements. Just making a portal available to patients will not ensure that they will use it. The portal must be engaging and user-friendly, and must support patient-centered outcomes. The portal also must be integrated into clinical encounters so the care team uses it to convey …

How can patient portals boost patient engagement and patient satisfaction?

Oct 31, 2016 · This 2011 article provides an overview of a patient portal implementation conducted by Patients First within east central Missouri counties. The NextMD patient portal was rolled out in August 2010 and serves three core functions: 1) Providing patients with an electronic clinical summary, 2) Providing timely access to lab results, and 3) Providing secure messaging …

What is Stage 2 meaningful use for patient portals?

1. Learn the benefits of patient portals for patients and providers. 2. Understand how a patient portal helps achieve meaningful use requirements. 3. Implement proactive, engaging portal features. 4. meaningful use that are expected to focus on selfImplement the portal with a systematic process. 5. Actively promote and facilitate portal use.

How do you implement a patient portal?

7 Steps to Implement a New Patient Portal SolutionResearch different solutions. ... Look for the right features. ... Get buy-in from key stakeholders. ... Evaluate and enhance existing workflows. ... Develop an onboarding plan. ... Successful go-live. ... Seek out painless portal migration.Jul 2, 2020

How do you optimize patient portals for patient engagement and meet meaningful use requirements?

Meet Meaningful Use Requirements The portal must be engaging and user- friendly, and must support patient-centered outcomes. The portal also must be integrated into clinical encounters so the care team uses it to convey information, communicate with patients, and support self-care and decision-making as indicated.

What must be done when creating a patient portal?

4 Steps to Successful Patient Portal Adoption, IntegrationOutline clinic or hospital needs, goals.Select a patient portal vendor.Create provider buy-in.Market the patient portal to end-users.Jun 6, 2017

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 are the benefits and challenges of using patient portals?

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.Feb 17, 2016

How are patient portals secure?

To make sure that your private health information is safe from unauthorized access, patient portals are hosted on a secure connection and accessed via an encrypted, password-protected logon. EHRs also have an “audit trail” feature that keeps a record of who accessed your information, what changes were made, and when.

What are the advantages of patient portals to the patient and to the healthcare facility quizlet?

The patient portal supports two-way communication, which allows the patient to work with physicians between patient visits, request appointments, and receive reminders. These reminders can be for appointments, need for follow-up, and more.

What types of patient portals are there?

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.Feb 12, 2021

What is the difference between a personal health record and a 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).Sep 6, 2012

What are the duties of a portal in hospital?

The Portal Enrollment Specialist uses resources to anticipate, address, and overcome barriers to care and to guide patients through the health care system. Portal Enrollment Specialist may assist patients by updating demographic and pharmacy information.

What is the purpose of the nhin?

The nationwide health information network (NHIN) is a set of standards, services and policies that enable secure health information exchange over the Internet. The network will provide the foundation for the exchange of health information across diverse entities, within communities and across the country.Dec 29, 2010

What is Stage 2 of CMS EHR?

One of the most talked about changes with Stage 2 of the CMS EHR Incentive Program, is the requirement that your patients interact with their health information and communicate with you or your practice electronically. (See Appendix A for the patient engagement requirements.) This requires additional technology to enable the secure sharing of health information and the associated tracking to generate the Meaningful Use reporting. Along with that, you will need to find a way to share the message with your patients that you want to interact electronically and have the ability to do so.

What is the stage 1 requirement for a patient?

Stage 1. Required Provide patients with clinical summaries for each office visit within 3 business days. This is required for more than 50% of all office visits during the reporting period. Required Provide patients with an electronic copy of their health information upon request.

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.