Patient portals are one of the major requirements for Meaningful Use Stage 2 and beyond,  and they are in big demand. From large scale practices to small and medium ones, everyone is using these portals to improve patient engagement and shared decision making. Even the physicians who are not offering patient portals are looking to offer this service to their patients as soon as possible, so that they can be compliant with regulatory authorities, and improve delivery of quality care.

One vendor which allows physicians to offer patient portals to their patients is CureMD. Click here to schedule a free demo.

When used in combination with Electronic Health Records (EHRs), patient portals help patients register with practices, make appointments, send messages to the clinic, order refills, access clinical information from anywhere, check laboratory results, set alerts and access statements and past medical records. These are the features which make it really easy for patients to interact with their physicians and save them a lot of time, which they would otherwise waste by having to visit the practice in person. By providing these features, portals have the potential to help providers increase care efficiency, thus improving the management of chronic illnesses, while actively engaging with patients and their families.

According to a recent Accenture survey, nearly 40% of the participants said that they would like to access their medical records, and would even consider switching their physicians in order to be able to do so. However, it is important for physicians to understand what makes a patient portal work for them, and how it engages patients better. Let’s discuss some of the steps physicians can take to improve patient engagement through patient portals.

Learn the benefits of patient portals for patients and providers

Practices have now started to understand the benefits of patient portals after using the product. Providers are reporting improved patient activation, more efficient communication, more self-care amongst patients and improved patient satisfaction. Physicians need to understand the benefits of patient portals completely before they can explain them to their patients.

Understand how patient portals help achieve Meaningful Use

Patient portals are one of the requirements for achieving Meaningful Use and it is important for practices to realize this. They need to make sure they are able to report on clinical summaries, patient-specific education resources, secure messages and reminders for preventive and follow-up care. These are the parameters which practices need to report on for Meaningful Use Stage 2 and beyond. In Stage 3, patient portals are also expected to play a significant role in focusing on self-management and shared management of healthcare.

Implement proactive, engaging portal features

Patients are not very likely to use patient portals to perform administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments and getting lab results. Instead, they are more likely to use the portal if it is designed in a way that it offers a problem-solving approach, interactive decision making tools and personalized messages. Patients have different needs and everyone wants a solution that is custom-made for them.

Implement the portal in a systematic manner

It is important for practices to take into account their preferences and organizational culture when they are planning to implement the portal. If implemented systematically, it will build confidence amongst the staff who is going to use it and minimize practice disruption.

Actively promote and facilitate portal use

When launched successfully, a practice must promote the portal actively amongst its patients and develop awareness. It should also guide the patients on how to use the portal effectively in a way that it engages them more than before.

These are some of the steps which a practice can take to improve patient engagement through patient portals and improve quality of care delivered.