Patient Portal Use And Improved Health Outcome

Patient portals offer many functions to allow a patient or proxy access to healthcare information to help improve patient healthcare. Within the patient portal a patient can access a portion of their health record; such as “medical history, health issues, medication lists, test results, care plans, allergy list,” schedule appointments, view and pay bills online, request medication refills, fill out forms electronically, and upload clinical information (Sayles 331). In addition, there are other functions that Surae Lucie took advantage of to help get her mother’s health back on track that are recommended by the National Learning Consortium. She used proxy access to access her elderly mother’s record, and sent messages to her mother’s healthcare providers to get her mother’s medication dosage and

Electronic portals create even more complex regulatory, performance and legal challenges than the common HIPAA guidelines that apply to any covered entity that deals routinely with PHIs. Health care providers often struggle to meet Medicare 's and Medicaid 's "meaningful use" requirements that health providers can only be reimbursed if they engage their patients interactively and electronically while providing security protection and

An example of a health information system that is relatable to my field of interest is the use of a patient portal, such as MyGeisinger which is utilized by Geisinger Health System. A patient portal is a secure online website that allows patients to have 24- hour access to personal health information. With the use of a secure username and password patients have access to information about their healthcare (Healthit.gov, 2015). About 25 percent of system’s primary care patients are registered, with the addition of about 2,000 patients per month (Emont, 2011).

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.

Patient portals are being pushed since the last few years. This is done largely because of Stage 2 meaningful use requirements for patient engagement. Numerous practices have felt the pressure to get their patients on a portal, though once done, have benefited a lot from it.

There is an increase in the use of patient portals among older patients due to the following reasons: ability to manage their chronic illnesses, and the ability to easily communicate with their physician when they are having questions or changes in their healthcare condition. The truth is that many generations of people who are computer literate are getting older now. This makes it easier for them to easily adapt to the introduction of the patient portal. Nevertheless, there are still many older people that are finding it difficult to adapt to these new healthcare tools (Heath, 2016). I think the number of older people using patient portals would continue to increase. The real issue is some older patients complained that they are not aware

At the provider level, access control should limit info to only what is necessary for the healthcare provider viewing it. This will reduce the chance of insurance fraud and misuse of sensitive patient data. Patients should, however, be able to view all of their data in a secure manner, allowing them to make more informed decisions with their health based on their personal data.

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

Nowadays, most clinicians are criticizing about the process time it takes to access patients’ health results in the information system to provide quality care. For that reason, I wouldn’t be surprised if a study said that most hospitals surveyed preferred a monolithic strategy over the best of breed strategy. Therefore, the best of breed strategy have several nurses and doctors complaining about the different systems they must sign in using a changed username and password to retrieve health information result on a patient. However, that delay can restrict them from making a noble clinical decision regarding patient safety.

In a world full of electronics it would only seem logical to have health records electronic. Not only are medical records efficient, reliable, and quick to access, new technology allow patients to access their own personal medical records with a simple to use login and password. “People are asking whether any kind of electronic records can be made safe. If one is looking for a 100% privacy guarantee, the answer is no”(Thede, 2010). At my hospital, upon every admission we ask the patient for a password for friends and family to have to have if they would like an update on the patient 's condition. We do not let visitors come up and see the patient without the patient 's consent. In doing these things, we help to ensure the safety and protection of the patient 's health information and privacy.

Indeed, the electronically stored medical records and use of the Internet provide patients access to their records online. An Internet-accessible medical record is helpful for patients and helps Patients to review medical records online repeatedly and at their convenience. Besides, in the context of other resources that aid them in comprehending it. Studies have shown that patients could have access to online medical records without compromising privacy and security. Furthermore, patients appreciated to have access to their records and they cause small disruption to clinical operations.

Online Patient portals are very convenient for patients due to which patient can access data about their health very easily. Online data have many risks of hacking so provide maximum privacy to user data.

The author in this research paper describes that clinical information system along with electronic health records can help passive patients to become more informed, responsible, and independent in terms of managing his/her own disease and treatment schedules. Thus, contributing to the overall efficacy of treatment, patient safety and better patient compliance. In many countries, patients have the right to access their own information. The Institute of Medicine argues that “patients should have unfettered access to their own medical information”. [1] Despite the benefits of patient portals, it is not widely accepted in patient care. The reasons may be due to cultural and practical reasons. Also, due to the concerns by health care practitioners.

One thing that I appreciate when using my “patient portal” through my hospital system, here in Duluth, MN, is being able to look up my labs or any other information ahead of my appointment with my physician. Labs are no longer a mystery prior to my appointment, and (being a retired nurse) I have the advantage of understanding the lab values, which helps me to prepare questions for the Dr. when it is time for my appointment. Another feature that I like is the email feature on the portal where I can ask the Dr. (or his nurse) a question and they get back to me the same day. I don’t have to call the office, stay on hold for the receptionist, and hope to get to speak to a human.

There are number of barriers that explain the slow implementation of online communication in clinical practice. Health care financing and policies are based on traditional methods of communication. Reimbursement policies remain largely based complexity of face-to-face visits. Phone consultations are generally not directly reimbursed. Similarly, with the exception of a few demonstration projects, most payers are not adopting policies that directly pay for online patient-physician encounters. Additional organizational challenges include technical and operational issues. Building a web-based patient portal and integrating it into day-to-day patient care activities is a complex endeavor.