Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare has rerouted 30% of its MyChart messages at dedicated staff at four clinics to get a handle on the influx of patient portal exchanges.
The health system has been using a digital solution from Switchboard, MD, a startup founded by an Emory physician to triage patient communications.
"As a physician who has been with Emory for more than 12 years, I've experienced the large volume of patient portal messages in my inbox, firsthand," said Blake Anderson, MD, an internist and the CEO and chief technology officer of Switchboard, MD, in a press release shared Nov. 19 with Becker's. "This is what drove me to build MDAware — to streamline the process, reduce clinician burnout, and give providers more time to focus on their patients."
The technology, which joins similar tools developed or used by health systems, automatically routes incoming MyChart messages to the appropriate person rather than relying on staff to triage them manually. The solution has so far been adopted by four Emory specialty clinics.