web patient portal use case

How effective are patient web portals?

The majority of studies on the effectiveness of patient web portals have focused on portal use by patients with specific medical disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease and mental disorders.

How can patients download clinical reports from the patient portal?

Patients can download any clinical reports shared via the secure messaging feature to their computers or a portable storage device. After the patient portal implementation, the enrollment rate and the volume of traffic via secure messaging on the portal have been modest. However, patients and clinicians feel the portal will prove to be beneficial.

What is the patient portal messaging function?

BVCHC implemented NextGen’s Patient Portal system in December 2010 with a secure messaging function that supports communication between patients and providers. Respond to patient messages in between seeing patients to complete tasks more efficiently and avoid “phone tag” with patients

How do patients Register on the patient portal?

After the patient portal implementation, patients registered by providing their e-mail address and within 24 hours they receive an e-mail with instructions for registering on the website. A reminder e-mail is sent after 30 days if patients have not registered.

What is the purpose of 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.

What are the features of 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 information can be accessed through a patient portal?

The features of patient portals may vary, but typically you can securely view and print portions of your medical record, including recent doctor visits, discharge summaries, medications, immunizations, allergies, and most lab results anytime and from anywhere you have Web access.

What are the duties of a portal in hospital?

Essential Functions:Patient Overview, Assignments and Case Load:Documentation:Patient Navigation Service:Use of Educational Materials and Resources:New Patient Orientation:

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.

Why do patients not use patient portals?

About seven in 10 individuals cited their preference to speak with their health care provider directly as a reason for not using their patient portal within the past year. About one-quarter of individuals who did not view their patient portal within the past year reported concerns about privacy and security..

What do hospitals patient portals enable patients to do?

What do hospitals' patient portals enable patients to do? Schedule appointments, order prescription refills, ask questions, and view test results.

What are the disadvantages of patient portals?

Even though they should improve communication, there are also disadvantages to patient portals....Table of ContentsGetting Patients to Opt-In.Security Concerns.User Confusion.Alienation and Health Disparities.Extra Work for the Provider.Conclusion.

What is remote patient monitoring used for?

The ability to monitor certain aspects of a patient's health from their own home has become an increasingly popular telehealth option. Remote patient monitoring lets providers manage acute and chronic conditions. And it cuts down on patients' travel costs and infection risk.

What are the benefits of patient portals or applications for record sharing?

Helps patients better understand and remember information about their medical condition and care plan, and gives patients the opportunity to review information when and where it is convenient for them. Bolsters patient adherence to healthcare advice, reinforces positive behaviours.

What is a standalone patient portal?

Standalone patient portal Standalone medical portals are limited in functionality. Commonly, they focus on one key function, like viewing lab test results or booking appointments. Such solutions are rarely integrated with other medical systems, such as HMS (hospital management system) or EHR (electronic health record).

When did the medical field start using patient portals?

Early Implementation And Growth Of Patient Portals 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.

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.

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.

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.

Why is it persuasive to use a portal?

They found that it is particularly persuasive when providers encourage patients to use the portal because patients trust providers and value their opinions. One provider says he reinforces a patient’s use of the portal by closing all messages with “Thanks for using the portal.”.

When did PHMG start patient portal?

PHMG launched the patient portal in early 2010. As a first step, the physician champion piloted the portal for about 6 months before it was implemented in one clinic at a time. According to the physician champion, implementation was “easier than expected because everyone was already comfortable with eClinicalWorks, ...

What is the PHMG strategy?

PHMG had a strategy of ensuring that patients hear about the portal from multiple sources during each clinical visit. To execute this strategy, PHMG used several methods of communication, including:

What are the challenges of the portal?

One major challenge with the portal is the multiple step registration process . Patients provide their e‐mail address at the front desk and are given a password to register from home. Some patients fail to complete the registration process after leaving the clinic. Remembering and managing passwords and managing family accounts are also challenging for patients. For example, a parent may log in for one child and then ask questions about a second child. For providers and staff, a challenge is that there is no way to know whether a Web‐enabled patient actually uses the portal and there are no read receipts to confirm that patients have read a message.

Where is PHMG based?

PHMG is currently working with Healthwise® — a nonprofit organization based in Boise, Idaho, that develops health content and patient education solutions—to beta test the integration of Healthwise patient education materials into the eClinicalWorks EHR system.

When did PHMG implement EHR?

In 2007 PHMG implemented an EHR system, eClinicalWorks, as part of a strategy to improve quality of care and facilitate coordination of care across its multiple clinic locations. In preparing for implementation, PHMG proceeded with:

Where do messages go in a family practice?

For family practice, messages generally go right to the provider. For specialists, who tend to be out of the office more often, messages go to the nurses or other staff for triage. To facilitate communication, PHMG developed a template for common messages, such as delivery of lab results.

Why did CMS use the patient portal?

In March, when CMS and other regulatory bodies urged hospitals and clinics to close their doors to non-urgent care, the patient portal became a place clinicians could go to manage patient health.

When was the patient portal invented?

The first EHRs, with which the patient portal would eventually come bundled, began development in the 1960s. Some of the first hospitals adopted EHRs in the 1970s.

When did hospitals start using EHR?

Some of the first hospitals adopted EHRs in the 1970s. The patient portal grew out of the EHR toward the end of the 1990s, leveraging EHR data to help inform patients about their own health. And by 2009, the entire nation began to consider health IT adoption.

Is meaningful use all to blame for limits in patient engagement via the patient portal?

Of course, meaningful use isn’t all to blame for limits in patient engagement via the patient portal. According to Paul Brient, chief product officer at athenahealth, the patient portal had a tough time matching other service industries, just like the rest of healthcare.

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 N#EHR?

Patient-Specific Education Resources.#N#EHR has an integrated patient education tool that allows clinical staff to search and select from more than 600 summaries on diagnoses and symptoms and more than 1,000 medications. Materials, which are available and English and Spanish, can be printed out and reviewed with patients at the time of the visit.

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.