Patient Portal Analysis

Modern communications capabilities open up a world of possibilities for all types of medical practices to develop deeper connections with their patients and to manage health care remotely. The HIPAA Privacy Rule gives patients the right to obtain copies of their medical records, treatments and protected health information or PHI. These requirements go further if medical providers want to receive reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid -- patients must be able to access their records online, download copies and transmit the information to third-party providers. Most medical practices are finding it necessary to develop patient portals where patients and physicians can interact, share information and perform important functions such as practices billing patients and accepting payments online. HIPAA 's rules require that these patient portals have strong security and privacy protections to prevent unauthorized access of these confidential PHI records.

Patient portals are designed to allow the patient to see parts of the medical record. However, the majority of portals do not push the entire medical record into the portal. The reasons for this decision vary from system to system. There are two reason, while valid, do not allow the patient to become a full participant in healthcare. The first is security and access. Security pertains to mobile and web based use and how to protect the information. Access pertains to how the information is accessed and whom. The second is medical information sensitivity. This can become complicated and, in some cases, cause mistrust from the patient .The patient has the

Electronic retrieval of patient demographics, allergies, current medications, complete medical history, diagnostic and radiologic results, etc. occurs by clicking a few buttons. Electronic patient charts provide quick and easy access to physicians, hospitals, independent labs, and pharmacies. EHRs allow simultaneous access by independent providers and allow a collaborative effort for health care management of the patient. “EHRs are the next step in the continued progress of healthcare that can strengthen the relationship between patients and clinicians”. (Electronic Health Records Overview, 2011)

Introduction: Technology is a constantly changing and evolving field. Those changes can be used to make the lives of people easier in every single way. With the creation of computers and the internet we have been applying technological changes in the health care world for years now. Patients can access their records with a few swipes at their keyboard and share records with other providers. In addition, providers can share reports with each other just as easily.

The Patient Portal. The patient portal gives patients the ability to view their personal health information online, to download and to transmit information about a hospital admission.

Technology has had a role in healthcare for some time, but only recently has it matured to a point where it can support operational, business and clinical functions of healthcare organizations. In the past, many hospitals used technology for specialized departments and unique roles, but the concept of a complete electronic health record system did not exist until the early 2000’s. The American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) Supplement to the AHA Annual Survey stated that in 2008 only 9.4% of hospitals had a basic electronic health record (EHR) system (HealthIT EHR, 2014). They defined a basic EHR as having electronic clinical information that includes results and the ability to enter and view clinical notes. Without the ability for healthcare organizations to capture clinical information electronically, an online patient engagement solution cannot

Georgia Medical Center has ten physicians clinics that can benefit from the patient portal. Now that the organization has transitioned to Cerner powercharts electronic medical records, the organization can now focus on implementing Cerner patient portal and its benefits. “A patient portal is a secure website that gives patients convenient 24 hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an internet connection” (“What is patient portal?” n.d.) The doctor's clinics of GA Medical Center have 500 to 600 patients seen by the providers for various conditions. Patient portal will be a patient friendly tool designed to help the patients manage their own records and be able to communicate with their provider (Goldzweing, 2013).

Portals can help in manage poly-pharmacy, provide patient education, engage patient and family in the care of managing chronic illness (Fant, 2015). When patients have access to their personal health records, they feel empower and want to do something about what is not normal. For example, a patient who is newly diagnosed with chronic kidney disease will have series of labs depending on which stage the kidney disease is in (“Understanding your lab,” n.d.). If the patient has access to portal, than the patient can easily access the lab results and share with his/her neprologist, dietitian, dialysis center, and other provides that the patient sees. There is no delay in retrieving the information or faxing or mailing the labs to the patient. Portal is very convenient as patient can be sitting at the comfort of the home to view labs, order medication refill, or even schedule an appointment. Provider's office with patient portal states of increase in efficiency in the workflow. The secure messaging to the provider decreases the amount of phone calls. Patient portal is a win-win situation for both the providers and the patients. While this technology is beginning to get attention, it is one such powerful tool to involve patient if implemented and utilized

The patient web portal has brought about many great benefits for patients across the healthcare system. One of the main noted and the most significant benefit of a patient web portal is the ability for patients to get more involved in their healthcare decisions through communication with their healthcare providers 24/7 (Alfano, 2016). As a registered nurse, I have observed patients' excitement on discharge from the hospital when they are informed about the patient web portal and how they could easily access their medical health records, contact their Physician (for any post-operative issues for example) at the convenience of their home without the need to drive to the hospital to pick up the hard copy. Hence, implementing the patient's web portal in a

A patient portal is a free online program that offers patients the tools to successfully manage and view their health care record. The Patient Portal offers a simple and convenient way to see and track your progress in one place.

I also have a PHR and I love it. I enjoy having a patient portal because I can review my lab results rapidly and I can communicate with my doctor through the portal if I have any concerns or questions. As Hebda and Czar (pg. 331) stated, “patients are able to be more involved in their care as well as be more knowledgeable in their health status. The use of personal health record allows for more effective continuity of care as information is more easily shared and accessible by those caring for the patient. Personal health records contain information from ones entire lifetime allowing for a more informative development of a plan of care”.

Have you ever wondered what our health care system would be like if patients with chronic diseases decided to take control of their own health? Well, in this article, “Patient Portal as a tool for Enhancing Patient Experience and Improving Quality of Care in Primary Care Practices,” the authors’ focus on the potential influences that patient portals have against the challenges for chronic disease patients that participate in care coordination programs. Patient portals are a tool that is used to provide patients with online access to their personal health information. Care coordination programs are made up of skilled professionals that help manage patient’s overall health by engaging them in self-management. Although patient portals

To help patients become an active participant in their health care, institutions have developed a portal system. This technological advancement allows patients to retrieve their medical records and securely communicate with their health care providers through the internet.

It is important to understand that patients are very satisfied with electronic health systems. For example, patients see a vast improvement in the speed at which they are being seen when they go their doctors’ office. Patients no longer have to wait on their physicians for hours due to the fact that their information can be readily available to their physicians when they come to see them. Moreover, all their information is transparent to their health care provider since all their data is in electronic form.

Major deliverables include eliminating the risk of discrepancies, updating old data, entering new data, refilling existing prescriptions and ensuring the security of the database system. Moreover, changes in the patients condition will have to be accounted for timely so that accuracy in medical prescriptions can be ensured. A proper firewall system must be in place so and besides ensuring security and eliminating intrusion threats, it must also be ensured that the privacy and confidentiality of all details pertaining to patients and hospital particulars (Federman, 2006).