teach patients to access their patient portal

Teaching patients how to access a patient portal and its role in their post-discharge care increases engagement during and after hospitalization. It also improves patient experience, a new JAMIA study finds. Researchers gave digital tablets to 97 patients for one day, showing them how to register and log in to the patient portal.

Full Answer

Do patient portals enhance patient engagement?

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

How do people access patient portals?

Various methods for accessing patient portals have emerged in recent years. While the most common method of accessing a patient portal was by computer (78 percent), nearly 4 in 10 patient portal users accessed their portal using a smartphone health app in 2020.

How can patient portals help in the discovery of medical errors?

A systematic review by Dendere and colleagues found that many patients seek unrestricted access to their medical records and tailored health education. Patient portals can help provide this information. The study concluded that patient portals aid discovery of medical errors.

How can you improve patient portal communication?

Make patient portal communication the norm. Move away from traditional methods of patient communication, like phone and mail. Frame the patient portal as the best way to reach clinicians and see important medical information.

How would you encourage patients to use patient portal?

How do you optimize patient portals for patient engagement?

What information can be accessed through a patient portal?

Why is patient portal important in healthcare?

How do patient portals contribute to patient centered care?

What is the goal of hie?

What are the benefits and challenges of using patient portals?

What information is excluded from a patient portal?

How do you keep patient portals secure?

What are some advantages to a healthcare facilities use of the patient portal function?

Why do some patients fail to participate in the use of the patient portal?

Why is patient portal important?

Patient portals can be great tools for engaging your patients, and can even help save you time when patients use secure messaging. Still, getting your practice’s patient portal set-up and actually getting patients to use it are two entirely different challenges.

Can you schedule an appointment online?

If a patient calls in to schedule an appointment, have the receptionist explain that next time they can schedule an appointment online, and even receive appointment reminders by email. When patients are checking out, make sure staff say they’ll be able to pay their bills online.

Is patient portal a project?

Adopting a patient portal is a huge project, and it’s likely to need some tweaking and updating after your first launch. If you add a new feature (like, say appointment scheduling) or update the layout to make it more user-friendly, make sure you advertise these changes to your patients. A patient who initially logged on and was frustrated by bugs or a difficult layout might be encouraged by news of an updated design.

What can a patient use a portal for?

For example, encourage patients to use the portal to make follow-up appointments, stay on top of recommended screenings, or request refills. Some portals even enable clinicians to create task lists for patients that include activities related to taking medications, eating a healthy diet, and staying physically active.

How to add portal enrollment steps to paperwork?

You can also add portal enrollment steps to paperwork, such as after-visit summaries. Make the instructions actionable and easy for patients to understand — choose clear, direct language and use illustrations, bullets, and numbering where possible . Encourage them to take immediate action.

Why are patients not enrolling in EHR?

Patients report not enrolling because they: Don’t remember discussing it with their clinicians. Lack information or motivation — for example, they don’t have signup instructions or they feel too busy.

How to facilitate enrollment?

To facilitate enrollment, automatically enroll your patients in a portal account, instead of waiting for patients to sign up themselves. Keep enrollment numbers up by encouraging new patients to stay registered and offering tips for patients with limited computer access or skills.

Can a receptionist suggest a patient use the portal?

Receptionists can suggest patients use the portal to schedule appointments, refill prescriptions, and ask questions. Automated follow-up emails after an appointment — as well as bills and receipts — can include a link and remind people to sign up.

Summary

Individuals’ rates of being offered and subsequently accessing their patient portal increased significantly between 2018 and 2019, but did not change in 2020.

Data Source and Methods

Data are from the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS).

Suggested Citation

Johnson C, Richwine C, & Patel V. (September 2021). Individuals’ Access and Use of Patient Portals and Smartphone Health Apps, 2020. ONC Data Brief, no.57. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology: Washington DC.

Dive Brief

Teaching patients how to access a patient portal and its role in their post-discharge care increases engagement during and after hospitalization. It also improves patient experience, a new JAMIA study finds.

Dive Insight

As MACRA and the Quality Payment Program place more emphasis on patient access to information, patient portals provide an effective means of engaging patients and improving outcomes.

Recommended Reading

Topics covered: M&A, health IT, care delivery, healthcare policy & regulation, health insurance, operations and more.

Nurses can increase the use of a valuable healthcare tool

Editor’s note: This is an early release of a web exclusive article for the January 2022 issue of American Nurse Journal.

Challenges

Several factors—age, race, ethnicity, education, health status, and health literacy—influence portal benefits. A review by Irizarry and colleagues found that non-white patients and those with fewer years of formal education are less likely to register for patient portals than the less vulnerable populations would.

The future of portals

Portals and the devices to access them continue to evolve. Devices available remotely monitor vital signs, glucose levels, and heart rates, which contribute to the integration of human connection and technology.

Empower patients

Nurses occupy the frontline of patient communication. They play a critical role in encouraging patients to use portals by explaining the benefits, demonstrating their use, and providing reliable information about their security. Easy-to-use portals empower patients to access their personal health data and participate fully in their care.