Tips Provided for Maximizing Use of Patient Portals

Portals should meet patient priorities; portals should be promoted at each patient encounter

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patient portals should be designed to meet patient priorities and promoted in order to maximize their use and boost practice efficiency, according to an article published Oct. 1 in Medical Economics.

Noting that use of a patient portal can improve patient service and satisfaction, the article discusses how to maximize portals and boost practice efficiency.

According to Medical Economics, a portal should meet patient priorities and allow patients to request a service, obtain information about their health, and submit information that the practice requires. It should be verified that the practice workflow will effectively interface with the portal, prior to portal implementation. Patients who will benefit most from the portal should be identified and contacted to discuss portal use. The portal should be promoted at every encounter the practice has with a patient. Portal use should be evaluated and practice operations modified based on this evaluation.

"Use of a patient portal or secure electronic communications is an effective way to boost patient engagement and accountability, achieve positive patient satisfaction, improve practice efficiency, and minimize the consequences associated with the lack of interoperability between electronic health record systems at other practices, hospital systems, and health care services," according to the article.

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