PatientEngagementHIT

Patient Portals

Top Tips for Successful Patient Portal Secure Messaging

September 19, 2017 - Secure messaging via the patient portal has presented a new frontier for patient-provider communication. What was previously discussed via telephone calls or during in-person follow-up appointments can now be done digitally, helping to streamline the interaction. Regulatory requirements have spurred the widespread adoption of patient portal secure messaging. In 2015, 63 percent of hospitals...

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Better Practice Operations Vital to Improve Patient Satisfaction

by Sara Heath

Clinician office wait times are down by five minutes from last year, highlighting a focus on better practice operations, patient flow, and patient satisfaction, according to the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). The annual MGMA DataDive...

How HIPAA Regulations Can Encourage Caregiver, Family Engagement

by Sara Heath

Being a patient does not have to be a solo experience. Many patients benefit from caregiver and family engagement - and many providers encourage collaborative decision-making.   While HIPAA regulations exist to secure the rights of...

Does Patient Portal Secure Messaging Prompt More Office Visits?

by Sara Heath

Patient portals have long been championed as the new and innovative strategy for improving patient engagement and access to quality healthcare. Patients can communicate with their providers about health concerns using secure messaging and become...

Low Broadband Access Stunts Patient Portal Use, Health Equity

by Sara Heath

Limited broadband access quells patient portal use and health equity, underscoring broadband as a key social determinant of health, according to research published in JAMIA. Healthcare professionals have long praised patient portals as the catalyst...

Top 3 Facts About Patient Engagement Policy Requirements

by Sara Heath

Patient engagement may be a key factor in the shift toward consumer- and patient-centered care, but it also has an important place in the policy requirements that are driving the healthcare industry. From the CMS EHR Incentive Programs, MACRA,...

4 Pros and Cons of Digital Patient Health Data Access

by Sara Heath

Patient health data access is a generally accepted patient engagement strategy that helps to empower patients through improved health literacy and integration into the care team. Healthcare providers are acting on patient data access, with nearly...

Following Patient Portal Adoption, Patient Activation is Key

by Sara Heath

New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H) is among the majority of health systems enjoying the patient-centered benefits of patient portal adoption. Now, the health system is facing its latest challenge – getting more patients enrolled...

GAO Comments on HHS Efforts to Drive Patient Portal Use

by Sara Heath

HHS should re-evaluate its campaigns to drive patient portal use and access to health data, said a Government Accountability Office (GAO) representative in the agency’s Watchdog Report blog late last week. The blog post featured GAO healthcare...

AHIMA Form Standardizes Patient Health Data Access Requests

by Sara Heath

The American Healthcare Informatics Management Association (AHIMA) has released a standardized model for patient health data access requests in an effort to streamline the process, according to an organization statement emailed to journalists....

Why Patients Value Patient Portal Health Data Access

by Sara Heath

Patients enjoy having patient portal health data access because it allows them to take ownership of their own care, makes them feel empowered as partners in their treatments, and helps them detect and identify errors their providers may have...

Reports Note Uptick in Hospital Patient Engagement Technology

by Sara Heath

US hospitals and health systems are increasingly adopting patient engagement technology to enhance their care quality and drive outcomes, according to two separate reports from the American Hospital Association’s Hospital & Health Networks...

ONC Offers Improvements for Patient Medical Records Requests

by Sara Heath

Healthcare organizations must develop and communicate clear protocol for patient medical records requests, according to the ONC. In a recent report, the agency explained that although patients can view their health data via the patient portal,...

OpenNotes Launch Gives 500K Patients Access to Health Data

by Sara Heath

Allina Health has officially launched OpenNotes, allowing its nearly 500,000 patients access to health data and clinician notes. The health system serves individuals in Minnesota and Wisconsin and is the first in the area to adopt the OpenNotes...

Patient Portal, Secure Messaging User Opinions Evolving

by Sara Heath

Even seasoned patient portal users need more direction using various tool functions, primarily secure messaging, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The researchers set out to determine how experienced...

Exploring Basic Patient Engagement Technology, Health IT

by Sara Heath

As healthcare takes a digital turn, it will be important for industry professionals to understand basic patient engagement technology. Health IT is a core aspect of federal incentive programs, and is becoming the future for patient activation...

Patient Engagement Strategies for Young, Healthy Populations

by Sara Heath

The term “patient engagement” usually elicits images of extensive wellness plans, long patient portal messages, and chronic disease management. However, patient engagement strategies are different for young and healthy patient populations....

Using OpenNotes for Positive Impact on Patient Data Access

by Sara Heath

It is difficult to discuss patient portals and patient data access without mentioning OpenNotes. OpenNotes was created in 2010 to allow patients to view their clinician notes using health technologies such as patient portals. Since then, OpenNotes...

ONC Adds Patient Education Materials to Patient Portal Guides

by Sara Heath

ONC has partnered with the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) to instruct clinicians in adding patient education materials into the patient portal.  The two agencies collaborated to add ODPHP’s myhealthfinder...

Debunking 3 Common Patient Engagement Myths

by Sara Heath

Numerous and often conflicting patient-centered care strategies have given rise to a number of patient engagement myths. More healthcare experts than ever are espousing their patient care knowledge, leading to nebulous assertions about which...

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