The best way to help patients get more done online – and free up your staff – is to teach them about your portal. If that sounds too obvious to discuss, rest assured, it’s not.
A recent study by research firm Technology Advice found that, while 11 percent of the patients were sure their doctors did not have patient portals, an alarming 40 percent did not know whether their doctors had them or not.
“… the number of patients who are not sure whether their physician’s office offers a patient portal is high because physicians are not properly communicating what tools are offered.”
This means that at least 51 percent of patients are definitely not using one of the main emerging technologies in healthcare – the patient portal – which is required to qualify for Meaningful Use Stage 2 incentives.
Extending the office visit
To receive Meaningful Use Stage 2 incentives, practices need at least five percent of their patients to use EHRs with integrated patient portals. Stage 2 of the Meaningful Use program dictates that patients view, download and share their health information.
For patients, however, the major benefit is that it extends the office visit. Portals allow patients to interact 24/7 and to get test and lab results and schedule (and reschedule) appointments at their convenience. It’s easier for them and reduces the amount of time you and your staff spend on mail, email and phone calls.
How well your patients respond to your portal depends on how you talk about it. It is not “just one more thing to learn.” Instead, it is about taking advantage of new, more secure technologies for communications and tasks that would otherwise use time you spend with patients.
Promote your portal
How do you tell patients about portals? Your newsletter is great for this, along with a short email alerting patients to look for the coming newsletter on making the most of “your online visit.”
Create a hard copy of the newsletter along with the digital version – it’s easy and inexpensive, covers all the bases, and lets you have materials ready for new patients as they arrive.
More information
The basics of patient portals
Seven portals powering patient engagement
How patient portals are changing healthcare
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