EMR Educate - Patient Portal Technology
The Benefits - Patients and Practice
Patients are becoming more savvy today, preferring self-help over playing telephone or clipboard tag
with your office. With tight schedules and little extra time for anything, patients benefit from the ability
to communicate with your practice electronically, from any "computer" (includes more devices every day), from any
location. Practices benefit from increased efficiencies and the ability of staff to engage in a greater number of
value-added tasks every day (less busy work and more activities that add to the bottom line). Clinical leadership
(nursing) benefits from a more streamlined process for medical record requests, prescription refill requests, and
patient demographic changes.
Growing Use of Patient Portals
Experts predict that use of patient portals will become more prevalent as patient demand for useable and transferrable health
information increases and more practitioners and hospitals make the transition to EMRs. Your patients shop online, do their
banking online, and they would value the opportunity to interact with your practice online. Studies have shown that
even among geriatric patients (who tend to be less technically sophisticated), patient portal acceptance is in the 80% range because
family members often help with electronic access and prefer ensuring a complete health record for loved ones (as opposed to
leaving complete information to chance).
Customizing a Patient Portal
Patient portal technology can be designed to fit the needs of any practice, in any setting (independent physicians, group practices,
clinics, hopitals, and more). Patient portals offer the online ability to issue billings and make payments, schedule appointments,
update demographic information, complete practice forms, ask and answer treatment and health questions, and request and
order prescription refills. You can pick and choose the options you want to offer through your patient portal.
Patient Portal Technology - Secondary Benefits
In addition to the benefits to patients and practices described above, the mere fact that you offer portal technology
for your patients says a lot about your practice. You're saying to your patients, "We know your time is valuable, and we want
to make our relationship as convenient as possible for you." Further, a patient portal confirms the professionalism of your practice.
If there's state-of-the-art technology on the front end, there's probably state-of-the-art technology throughout your practice.
Think of it this way. If you can't find a better way to gather information from me than by handing me a clipboard, what confidence
should I have in your clinical technology (vitals machinery, imaging, test kits, specimen labeling, and so on)?
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