Patient portals are being used more frequently by hospitals and other businesses as a way of improving relations between company and customer. It can be a challenge, however, to get patients to grasp the extraordinary benefit from patient portals.
Here are some of the ways that patient portals can help both the provider and the customer:
Improved Communication
Appointment reminders and prescription refill notifications are time consuming tasks that can eat up entire mornings for office staff. With patient portals, staff can program in recurring reminders and notifications once, and have it done on an as-needed basis.
Patients that may not have been available by email or telephone can receive the important messages when they log into their online portal.
Supplemental Information
Patient portals can be a terrific way to share supplemental information about a patient’s condition with the patient in a non-intrusive manner. As the following article looks at, this is one great method by which hospitals are learning how to get patients to use the patient portal.
By letting them know that the portal is also a valuable tool for information about their condition, doctors and medical staff can increase awareness about the portal as well as giving the patient yet another reason to use it.
Privacy
Patients who avail themselves of the patient portal can use it in complete silence and privacy, even when others are in the room.
This allows them to take care of anything they need to tend to without having their private matters discussed out loud on the telephone in the presence of a visiting relative, neighbor or friend.
Immediate Accessibility
As long as the patient has a reliable Internet connection, they can access their portal from anywhere, immediately.
If they are at the pharmacy, and can’t remember the name of an over-the-counter medication the doctor suggested, they can log in on a smart phone and get the name.
Enhanced Security
Having immediate access to the patient portal also gives patients a subtle yet valuable sense of enhanced security.
It may make them feel like the doctor is always on call, and it can give them the feeling that their condition is being taken seriously by the medical staff.
Better Records
A patient portal keeps track of medical records automatically and efficiently, something with which your business also wants to make sure is a priority when it comes to customer records, especially as it relates to security.
Once the foundation is built, the portal is a wonderful way for both patient and medical professional to review the history of the care the patient has received, as well as any concerns they may have expressed via the portal.
More Accountability
Better record keeping via the portal also ensures more accountability as far as insurance claims go.
When patients use the portal, they can easily reference insurance claims and bills that have been paid or that are outstanding. This kind of transparency can be very reassuring to all patients, but particularly for those who struggle financially.
Patient portals are one way that technology helps both patients and hospitals. When hospitals work hard to get the patients online and using the portal, both benefit.
About the Author: Kate Supino writes extensively about best business practices.
You must be logged in to post a comment.