Key Takeaways
- Care visit scheduler is one of the prominent patient portal examples as it allows patients to select appointments as per their routine, reduces wait time, improves accessibility, and is user-friendly.
- Bill payment and finances feature is integrated within the patient portal to not only eliminate duplicate entries and clogged workflows but also to maintain healthcare price transparency.
- Med tracker is one of the vial patient portal examples as it effectively manages medications. It not only offers a history of prescriptions and medications but also alerts providers in case of improper drug-drug interactions.
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the use of technology in the healthcare industry. Patients and providers started using remote care platforms for diagnosis and treatment. With the introduction of virtual care, patients were able to communicate with their healthcare providers over secured calls and messages. One such healthcare technology that has gained popularity is patient portals.
Patient portals are online platforms that provide access to healthcare records to patients and providers. Users can book appointments, pay bills, check educational resources, and order prescription refills. About four in 10 patient portal users accessed their portal via a smartphone health app in 2020 due to the platform’s wide array of benefits:
- Medication management
- Communication with healthcare providers
- Health reminders
- Emergency access
- Telemedicine integration
- Personal health journal
- Access to test results
Benefits may vary according to the type of patient portal offered by healthcare organizations. However, there are a few must-have benefits that we’ve listed in the form of examples.
Crucial Patient Portal Examples
1. Care Visit Scheduler
Care visit scheduler aids in online appointment bookings for patients. Online bookings not only reduce paperwork for the admin staff and providers, but it also offers the seamless digital experience that patients want. The patient portal’s care visit scheduler allows the patient to browse through slots and select one at their convenience. Further, healthcare providers can manage their routine according to the number of patients per day.
- Convenience: Patients can view provider availability and schedule appointments at their convenience, without needing to call during office hours.
- Reduced Wait Times: Online scheduling reduces the need for lengthy phone calls and minimizes wait times, improving overall patient satisfaction.
- Transparency: Patients have better visibility into provider availability and can choose the most suitable appointment slot.
- Efficiency: Healthcare providers can manage their appointment schedules more efficiently and allocate their time effectively.
- Communication: The appointment scheduling feature often integrates with other communication tools, allowing patients to securely communicate with providers about their appointments and any specific concerns.
- Accessibility: Patients with mobility or communication challenges can easily schedule appointments without relying on phone calls.
2. Bill Pay and Finances
Bill pay and finances are integrated with the patient portal for streamlined payment processes for the patients and providers. Healthcare admin staff can collect and verify balances with an online billing portal. Furthermore, the billing process can be automated to avert issues such as duplicate entries, clogged workflows, and document errors. Also, a stable bill pay and finances option increase the number of claims and payments, thus improving cash flow.
Healthcare price transparency is one of the key pain points of the healthcare sector. Price transparency will allow the patients to know the exact amount owed for the services provided. Providing healthcare price transparency ameliorates patient retention and engagement as patients will end up seeking care from services with lower pricing.
3. Provider-Patient Chat
Next patient portal example is the provider-patient chat which is a secured line of communication that can be availed in times of emergencies, routine check-ups, and follow-ups. Patients have the privilege to talk to their care providers from the comfort of their homes.
The benefits of provider-patient chat are:
- Convenience: Patient portals allow patients can interact with medical specialists at any time and from the comfort of their homes.
- Privacy and Security: Patients can speak freely about their issues over secured channels via patient portal platforms. These platforms are built as per HIPAA regulations, so all patient data is kept safe and private.
- Avoid Misunderstandings: Written text messages prevent misunderstandings between a provider and a patient.
- Timely communication: Patients can get their doubts solved within minutes without having to book an appointment and wait for responses.
To note that patient-provider chat may not be useful during emergency care and doctors may suggest an in-clinic visit for better treatment and diagnosis.
4. Med Tracker
Med tracker is one of the vial patient portal examples as it helps to effectively manage medications. It not only offers a history of prescriptions and medications but also alerts providers in case of improper drug-drug interactions. Furthermore, patients can access detailed information on how to take their medicines, dosage instructions, timings, etc.
Med tracker sends timely reminders about medication intake and prescription refills via the patient portal platform. Patients can then place online orders at the registered pharmacy for drug refills.
The patient’s medical history has a detailed description of medication allergies, patient portals capture this detail and send in alerts if any of the drugs contain an allergic component.
In a nutshell, patient portals with medication management tools play an essential role in fostering effective communication between patients and healthcare providers, supporting medication adherence, and eventually contributing to patient outcomes.
5. Health Knowledge Repository
A health knowledge repository within a patient portal refers to a collection of tools, references, data, statistics, articles, research papers, etc., to educate patients about healthcare and wellness. These educational resources offer information about diseases, symptoms, preventive measures, and home remedies.
Patients can make themselves aware of the ongoing epidemics in their area by referring to the news items broadcasted on patient portals and taking precautionary actions. Further, educational resources are loaded with vital tips to improve health and wellness, fitness, nutrition, and diet to lead a healthy lifestyle.
If you want to know more about patient portals: features, benefits, and costings or wish to develop a portal for your healthcare organization, then connect with Arkenea, a leading healthcare software development company. With over 12 years of experience in the healthcare industry, our team of expert developers creates and delivers products that meet industry standards.