Patient portal engagement is a pillar of meaningful use stage 2 requirements.
Here are four strategies to help achieve mandated patient use levels offered by Scott Jens, OD, an optometrist and CEO of online-based EHR platform RevolutionEHR, on the company's webpage.
1. Use various platforms to promote online portal use. Dr. Jens suggests a first step is to have an informational page on their website discussing the value of the online patient portal. That website should be supplemented by email blasts and social media. He also said practices should assign patients login credentials before their visit to the office to allow them to insert any data or necessary information before appointments.
2. Promote the portal in the office. Some patients won't pay attention to email blasts or online information detailing the patient portal before appointments. "Patients need to be treated fairly if they have not been aware prior to their arrival, not put in a defensive position because they didn't pay attention to emails and other communications," Dr. Jens wrote. His practice places iPads at the front desks as a means to introduce patients to the patient portal once they arrive at the office.
3. Encourage the entire practice's staff to discuss the portal with patients. Staff members have the opportunity to mention the patient portal numerous times throughout a patient's visit to the office, Dr. Jens wrote. Additionally, portals often offer a variety of services to the patient in addition to clinical information, such as online scheduling, account balances and tracking prescriptions, providing touchpoints for staff members to discuss the portal's services. Dr. Jens also wrote practices should be just as adamant about discussing the portal with older patients. "There is a proliferation of seniors on Facebook, for example, so it is proven that software can be reasonably utilized by older adults if it is intuitive enough," he wrote.
4. Promptly respond to portal messages. The meaningful use stage 2 program requires 5 percent of patients to send a message to their provider through the portal. Dr. Jens suggested providers simply remain aware and engaged in messaging patients.
More articles on patient portals:
Patients' 4 top frustrations with online portals
Epic's patient portal leads in patient engagement, survey finds
The case for data visualization to enhance online patient portal usability