Can patient engagement portals improve healthcare?

How can patient engagement portals improve healthcare? 

Patient engagement portals are a useful tool that can be used to remove barriers to accessing care, increase coordination, integration and engagement, empowering patients to actively manage their own health. When used effectively, engagement portals can:

1. Improve patient-provider communication 

Engagement portals make it easier for patients to ask for and receive support when needed. With secure direct messaging or live chat patients do not have to wait until their next consultation to discuss any questions or concerns with their healthcare

provider. Video consultations also improve access for patients who find it difficult to get to a clinic or hospital. 

2. Empower patients and improve outcomes

Enabling secure online access to medical records and health educational materials has been shown to empower patients to be more involved in their care. Patients who are actively engaged in their health management have much lower levels of unmet needs for medical care and are more likely to adopt preventive health behaviours and adhere to prescribed treatment, which can improve clinical outcomes. Patients may also be able to detect and point out any errors in their online medical records. Improved engagement can be especially useful for those with chronic health conditions. One study found the online patient engagement tools helped improve chronic disease management by almost 10% for some conditions. 

3. Improve workflow efficiencies

Engagement portals allow patients to conveniently schedule and manage their own appointments. This, along with automated reminders, can help reduce missed appointments. Portals can also enable a range of tasks to be completed online, such as medical history and consent forms, prescription refills, bill payments and access to test results. This has the potential to increase accuracy, reduce duplication and improve workflow efficiencies. 

4. Increase care quality and patient satisfaction

In this digital age, patients have come to expect healthcare solutions that are coordinated, convenient, customised, and accessible. Research has shown that increased patient engagement can improve care quality and reduce healthcare costs, as well as increase patient satisfaction and retention.

What challenges are associated with patient engagement portals? 

To effectively deliver the benefits of increased engagement, patient portals need to be well designed and easy to navigate. Both patients and staff may require training and support when learning to use a new platform, especially for those who are less digitally literate. With the increasing use of smartphones over personal computers, engagement portals must be available via mobile apps. 

An ideal system should securely connect with all aspects of patient engagement. It should be scalable and adaptable, as your clinic or hospital grows. A portal should be compatible with your existing IT systems, seamlessly integrating with electronic health records (EHR) and other databases to reduce rather than increase administrative burden. 

It is important to choose a system which is fully compliant with local data protection regulations, such as HIPAA and GDPR. End-to-end encryption is required to prevent any third parties from accessing private communications or sensitive data. 

In summary 

Healthcare seekers have come to expect more convenient and interactive communication with medical professionals and facilities. Patient engagement portals, when used effectively, have great potential to increase engagement, empower patients, improve efficiency and care quality. 

Are you looking for the ideal patient engagement portal for your practice? Designed by experts in healthcare informatics, Medoment is an innovative and comprehensive patient engagement solution.