The Role of Patient Portals

Patient Portals along with digitization of medical records is a good way to improve patient care. Patient portals act as communication links between patients and the healthcare service providers. With the help of a unique id and password, patients can schedule appointments, fill out procedural forms, view test results etc., through the internet. The practitioner, on the other hand, can send lab reports, remainders and the like to their patients.

In the United States, Patient portals are regulated by the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Compliance to this Act ensures that all data in patient portals are encrypted and therefore secure. The provider is enabled to provide better service with the implementation of the patient portal as the patient shall enter all relevant information online prior to his visit to the GP’s office. This saves a lot of time for both the patient and the doctor as also time and effort for the staff at the doctor’s office.

Patient portals also make it easier for doctors treating the same patient for different conditions to communicate with each other. It is also important to note that the patient does not have access to all data; the patient is shown only the data the doctor wants to be shown. It has been found that implementation of patient portals are very easy in offices where medical records are already digitized. It is interesting to note that certain vendors have also developed Patient portals in languages such as Spanish. This move shall prove to be very helpful to the non-English speaking population in the country.

Implementation of patient portals are on the rise due to the convenience it provides to the doctors, its ability to ensure better patient care and the vital role it plays in cost-cutting.

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