Patient Portals: The Key to Effective Care and Communication

Proper health care depends on strong relationships, which thrive on clear, consistent communication. While the 2020 pandemic forced many medical providers to turn to telehealth solutions, the last 12 months have also brought the unparalleled convenience of a patient portal to light.

How can a digital portal enhance the way you interact with patients? In this guide, we’ll explore the telehealth solutions that are currently available and the benefits that your patients can receive from using an online portal.

What Is a Patient Portal?

A patient portal is an online tool that allows patients to view test results, consult with medical providers, and complete medical forms from anywhere in the world.

For example, the RxPortal offered by PatientNow integrates the other modules, enhancing the patient experience by granting access to patient records and appointment reminders through a secure platform.

How Patients Benefit from a Patient Portal

A patient portal can give your patients a sense of empowerment and a chance to participate in their own treatment by having timely access to their test results, medical history, and more.

What else can your patients expect from a digital portal? Here are some of the primary benefits:

Real-Time Telehealth Consultations

Your patients will love the convenience of the “virtual visit.” Video technology allows you and your patient to have a personalized, HIPAA-compliant consultation, allowing you to deliver the same level of care as an in-office visit.

Personalized Communication

In addition to these real-time consultations, patients can also communicate with their healthcare provider through the secure system of the patient portal.

This means that patients and medical staff are able to correspond using encrypted text messages and emails. Patients can also upload photos and videos to help explain symptoms.

Patients are even able to fill out medical documents online, increasing the efficiency with which you devise and implement a treatment plan.

Access to Secure, Online Records

All of the data shared during a telehealth exchange is automatically stored to the patient’s secure file. Photos, videos, physician notes, and any additional documents become a part of your patient files and can be used for future reference. 

Best of all, the patient portal does this while maintaining HIPAA standards of privacy and data security.

Appointment Reminders

A patient portal can enhance your scheduling processes too. Patients can receive automated reminders delivered via email and text messages. They can even confirm their appointment electronically, which can help to minimize the number of no-shows 

Faster Access to Test Results

Patients can receive the results of any lab work through the same secure portal. These test results can help your patients better understand their health. They will also be better informed about any treatment plans that are devised to address conditions highlighted by blood tests or other evaluations.

Educational Content

Telehealth is about more than just a “virtual visit.” Telehealth allows patients to take charge of their treatment plan. With an online portal, medical providers can share resources and other kinds of educational content, so that their patients can stay on top of every phase of their treatment plan.

How Your Practice Can Benefit from Telehealth

Your patients will appreciate the benefits offered by an online portal, but how can telehealth benefit your practice as a whole?

Telehealth can help your medical office achieve a whole new standard of care while improving the way you communicate with your patients.

See More Patients

Telehealth eliminates geographic barriers, which allows you to consult with patients from anywhere in the country. Plus, a virtual visit can easily fit into the patient’s schedule, so they won’t get stuck delaying vital medical care.

By eliminating the barriers of scheduling and geography, you’ll be better equipped to see a wider range of patients. This isn’t just good for the revenue generated by your medical practice; it can also enable you to deliver a high standard of care to more people than ever before.

Get Better Medical Data

With telehealth solutions, patients are able to upload videos and photos that can provide a full picture of their situation as they occur, not just the way they present at their next visit. This means that medical providers can work with the best available data to provide an accurate diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan for each patient.

Communicate with Patients Between Visits

The secure messaging platform provided by a patient portal allows clinic staff to connect with their patients anytime they want. This means you don’t have to wait until your patient’s next appointment to answer any questions or provide follow-up guidance. 

Patients will appreciate this personalized touch, which may eliminate the need for a traditional in-person follow-up visit.

Automate Administrative Processes

As much as you might like to make patient care the highest priority for your whole office, the reality is that administrative staff members often get bogged down with manual data entry and other processes that can steal focus from your patients.

By automating your core administrative processes, your front office can run with greater efficiency, allowing your whole team to put your patients first.

For example, when your patients receive automated reminders to confirm their next appointment, your office staff won’t have to spend so much time contacting patients individually. They’ll spend even less time trying to reschedule missed appointments!

Eliminate Errors from Paper Forms

Paper forms don’t just take up a lot of space; they also increase the possibility of human error arising from manual data entry. These errors can compromise the patient experience while taking valuable time to resolve.

A patient portal allows your patients to complete any required paperwork from their electronic devices. A contactless check-in can further expedite the patient registration process and enhance the patient journey even before they arrive at the office.

Save More Time, Treat More Patients, Good Portals Are Integrated Into The Rest Of The Record Keeping System

To say that telehealth is the way of the future would be an understatement. Patient portals are already revolutionizing interactions between patients and medical providers. These convenient, time-saving platforms can transform your medical practice, as well.

Give PatientNow a try today by signing up for a free demo, and you’ll see how our full suite of solutions can enhance your patient journey and reduce the burden on your administrative staff.