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Patient portals are essential for improving medical care by providing online access to health records and facilitating communication between patients and providers. However, convincing patients to use them can be challenging.
Patient portal usage can have a direct impact on patient outcomes. According to a systematic review published in JMIR Human Factors, patient portals have improved various psychobehavioral outcomes such as health knowledge, self-efficacy, decision-making, medication adherence, and preventive service use.
Most healthcare communication still happens over the phone, in person, or on paper. However, technology solutions are making headway. As of 2020, nearly 40% of individuals nationwide accessed a patient portal, representing a 13-percentage point increase since 2014.
However, while patients want digital-first options, many report that the functionality of available systems is lacking. These industry shortcomings highlight the importance of working with a seasoned partner who can provide user-friendly tools.
Several effective methods can be employed to encourage patients to adopt patient portals, each aiming to enhance patient engagement and ease of use. Here, we touch on the three most important steps healthcare leadership can take right now:
Compatible with any EHR and functional across the inpatient and ambulatory settings, our patient portal YourCare Community® helps bring continuity to the patient-provider relationship.
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To learn more, reach out to us at inquiries@medhost.com or call 1.800.383.6278.
Hospital executives understand that strong relationships with individuals in their community are important to both community health and the financial health of the hospital.
While Patient Engagement is important and currently a hot topic, effective engagement starts before the individual becomes a patient and continues through and after instances of care. Community Hospitals invest today in a variety of free or unprofitable services to improve overall community health and to strengthen individual relationships. Examples include senior exercise classes or diabetes management classes. These programs, however, tend to focus on relatively narrow segments of the community. Inexpensive, common-sense approaches can broaden engagement efforts.
Start with good defense and don’t become disenfranchised by “big tech.” Many regulations to open access to patient records seem to be motivated by their efforts to be the focal point for healthcare data and information. Ensure your patient portal consolidates patient records and offers valuable content. Leverage those things that only your portal can provide, such as appointment reminders and bill payment. Regularly promote your portal and its features.
Consumers are inundated with information about health and wellness. It can be good, bad, and even dishonest, but mostly it has a commercial objective. Your hospital is a trusted brand in your community. You can provide regular engagement with individuals who may be prospective patients by leveraging that brand and trust. One good way is to build an extensive community mailing list and distribute a high-quality digital publication branded for your facility with content focused on a typical Community Hospital readership.
Good engagement also extends to independent clinicians in your community. Include them in your engagement efforts since many will not have the scale for a proprietary effort. Make sure that you have reduced technology barriers to good care and ease of use for both your inpatient and outpatient services.
MEDHOST is here for you. Through ongoing regulatory changes, we maintain a commitment to deliver timely, cost-effective solutions, to help hospitals save time and resources, reduce cost, maximize revenue, and create better experiences for the communities they serve.
Start preparing today. We’re here to help. To learn more, contact us at inquiries@medhost.com or call 1.800.383.6278.
