By this time everyone in the health IT industry knows what patient portals are all about. Once known as a mere tool to facilitate communication, the web based patient portals have become a secure platform for information exchange amongst providers and patients. My previous blogs have talked about the features of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and practice management, this blog would highlight some of the essential features within patient portals and the benefits associated with them. Before getting into the details, it is important to clear the persisting misconception that it is only in case of an emergency that a physicians needs to stay connected with the patient. There are various administrative tasks that require uninterrupted connectivity to ensure the healthcare circle remains intact.
“Patient portals have revolutionized modern day practices. The need for such solutions had been quite long, both physicians and patients are elated to experience the ease of maintaining their health routines through the use of patient portals. It could be said that patient portal is a definitive tool for people seeking improved care coordination”, says a North Carolina based health IT consultant.
It is believed that patient portals are used to improve the overall patient experience not only by merely keeping them connected with physicians at all time but also by providing an educational platform to them. Patients can get detailed information on various diseases and profoundly comprehend the diagnosis as well. According to surveys, along with better care provision, patient portals have resulted in increasing awareness amongst patients. Now, let’s discuss some of the features of patient portals.
Registration and Appointments: Patients do not have to incur costs for making telephone calls or paying visits to physicians solely for scheduling an appointment. All they need is a simple internet connection and they could schedule appointments by logging into the patient portal. Interestingly, the web based portals can also be accessed via a mobile phone.
Electronic Messaging: Patients can remain up to date through the feature of electronic alerts. Physicians or their staff could keep the patients informed with appointment reminders or rescheduling through electronic messages.
Refills and Labs: Patients can have a look at their medical records and lab results, online. Paper use is reduced and the hassle of maintaining records is also purged. Moreover, in case patient run out of medication, they can request the refills online as well. Once the physician sends prescription details to the pharmacy, patients merely have to visit the pharmacy and collect the medication.
Patient Statements: Thanks to evidence based practice, patients can now completely scrutinize their diagnosis details, the details and relevancy of the tests taken, and complete billing information through the patient portals.
There is a long list of such value adding features. However, since engulfing the reader with too much information might hamper the purpose of the blog, I choose to conclude this blog over here.
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