promoting the patient portal plan strategies

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...
• Place a computer kiosk or tablet in the waiting area that allows patients to register for the portal and then use it to...
• Send postcards to patients, introducing your portal and encouraging them to use it...

Full Answer

How to implement a patient portal in your practice?

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... Place a computer kiosk or tablet in the waiting area that allows patients to register for the portal and then use it to... Send ...

What is a portal and why do you need one?

patient portal before expanding. • Team-Focused − Include patients on the rollout team. − Allow several months to assess how to integrate the portal. − Gather patient and provider feedback to plan expanded implementation. • Efficiency-Driven − Make enrollment open to all patients. − Have staff manage portal workflow and

Are patient portal benefits effective?

Proven Strategies to Get Patients to Use Your Patient Portal Understand Behavior and Demographics. Diving into the demographics of your office can help create a plan that works for... Create a Marketing Plan. How do you tell patients to use your patient portal? Is it just a sheet of paper you hand ...

How do you build patient loyalty through the portal?

Apr 25, 2018 · How To Encourage Patients To Use Your Patient Portal 3 Strategies For Increasing Patient Portal Usage In Your Optometric Practice. Ask. Sometimes all you have to do to get a patient to start using your patient portal is ask them. Whether you ask the... Promote At Every Opportunity. Not all of your ...

How do you promote a patient portal?

Seven tips on how to promote your patient portal Add a tag line to appointment cards, statements, newsletters, and other communication. An example: “Tired of playing phone tag? Sign up for the patient portal.” Change your practice's on-hold messaging to include information introducing the patient portal.

How can we improve patient registration process?

Here are some steps you can take to assess and improve your workflow.Assess your practice's waiting room. ... Review your existing digital capabilities. ... Reflect on your patient registration workflow. ... Identify hang-ups in the patient registration process. ... Train staff on patient registration best practices.More items...•Jun 9, 2021

How do patient portals improve patient engagement?

Patient portals may enhance patient engagement by enabling patients to access their electronic medical records (EMRs) and facilitating secure patient-provider communication.

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.

How can patient compliance with portal registration be increased?

Hang posters in the office that promote the portal and include a QR code at the bottom, so patients can quickly navigate to the portal on their smartphones. Place printed portal instructions in your waiting room for patients to browse, which can prompt them to register while waiting.

Why is the patient registration process so important?

The patient registration process is instrumental for giving a good first impression of a healthcare organization. A positive patient experience that starts at the check-in desk can set the tone for the entire care encounter. ... Collection of patient demographic information, including personal and contact information.Oct 27, 2017

What should be in a patient portal?

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.Aug 13, 2020

What are the benefits of 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.Dec 8, 2017

How can the patient portal affect patient satisfaction?

Our model shows that patient portal use can influence patient satisfaction through the mediating effects of gratification, health self-awareness, and health perception. ... Therefore, by promoting effective patient portal use and fostering patient perceptions, health care organizations can improve patient satisfaction.

What is meaningful use?

'Meaningful Use' is the general term for the Center of Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS's) electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs that provide financial benefits to healthcare providers who use appropriate EHR technologies in meaningful ways; ways that benefit patients and providers alike.

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.Apr 30, 2013

Which of the following is true about fixed schedules versus walk in appointments?

Which of the following is true about fixed schedules versus walk-in appointments? The scheduling system can accommodate both fixed schedules and walk-in appointments. A messaging system is included in a scheduling component to facilitate communication between: Providers and patients.

Understand Behavior and Demographics

For patients with chronic conditions, promote the fact the portal offers:

Create a Marketing Plan

How do you tell patients to use your patient portal? Is it just a sheet of paper you hand them before they leave? Is it a reminder email? You’ll want to tell them in as many ways as you can; so, although these are good ways to spread the word about your patient portal, they’re not enough. In addition to the methods mentioned above, consider:

Include Enrollment as Part of Registration

Again, this is kind of a no-brainer, right? When patients are filling out their intake paperwork, make sure you collect email addresses and have a form or flyer ready to hand out. We also suggest having a front desk “champion” that understands the patient portal like the back of her hand.

Encourage Providers to Promote the Portal

Your patients are a captive audience who listen to your doctors, right? In a perfect world they listen anyway – but we digress. By having providers promote the portal, the idea is that adoption rates will go up because they’re being told by their doctor.

What Did We Miss?

Have other great tips to encourage patient portal adoption and continued use? Let us know what works for your office in the comments.

Ask

Sometimes all you have to do to get a patient to start using your patient portal is ask them. Whether you ask the patient in person or through a patient recall message, you can persuade a lot of your patients to use the portal with little effort.

Promote At Every Opportunity

Not all of your patients will be as responsive to your initial request for them to use the patient portal. For patients who are more cautious about using the portal or seem hesitant, you’ll have to promote the benefits of the portal at every opportunity.

Give Incentives

If you’re still having trouble getting patients to adopt your patient portal, another tactic you could try is using incentives. Offering incentives for patients to access your patient portal could help drive utilization and could also help you promote different benefits of the portal.

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.

When did Dover Family Physicians adopt EHR?

Dover Family Physicians adopted an electronic health record (EHR) system in 2008 with a goal of improving the quality of patient care and especially strengthening preventive care services. The practice has focused on ways to use the EHR to engage patients and their family members in their health and healthcare through a patient portal implementation. The practice, located in Dover, Delaware, has four physicians and two physician assistants, and provides primary care to more than 800 patients weekly.

How long does it take for a nurse to respond to a patient?

The practice established standards for response times of within 4 hours for more urgent questions to 2 days for prescription refills

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.

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 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.

What can providers do?

Influence. Providers and care teams have one of the most important roles in promoting portal adoption. Facilities where providers inform and encourage patients to use the portal have a much higher engagement rate than those who do not.

Add value by activating features that meet patient needs

You can assess which portal features have the most value by going straight to the source: your patients. Ask them about the features they want or find useful, and tailor your portal to meet their needs.

Integrate patient-generated health data

Technology has changed how patients monitor their own health. One in five people use technology to track their health from fitness monitors to home medical devices. Using patient-generated health data has big advantages. Studies show it:

External marketing tips

Make the message to enroll and use the portal highly visible in your practice by:

The importance of internal buy-in

Internal buy-in is just as important as your external marketing strategies. Once your staff is sold on the benefits of the portal, they will enthusiastically encourage patients to sign up. Some tips to facilitate staff buy-in include:

Start with Email

The first step to incorporate your patient portal into your healthcare digital marketing is to capture email addresses from every patient in your practice. Email addresses are commonly used for patient logins on portals and they provide you with a direct online connection to your patients.

Create an Autoresponder Series to Explain Your Patient Portal

Some of the reasons most commonly cited for low patient adoption of healthcare portals include:

Give Your Portal a Prominent Place on Your Website

You want patients to use the patient portal, and that means you’ve got to eliminate as many barriers as possible. One simple way to do that is to add a high-profile link to your portal on the homepage of your practice’s website.

Use Social Media to Educate Your Followers About the Portal

Many practices have active followings on social media. If your practice has a Facebook page or Twitter, then you can use those platforms to let your existing followers know about your new patient portal.

Promote Your Patient Portal in Digital Ads to Attract New Patients

Finally, you can use your patient portal as a way of attracting new patients. Many young people, in particular, expect online access to information. Marketing to them can help you grow your practice.