Giving Up Control: Letting the Patient Drive The Care

Today, a wide range of innovative personal and powerful mobile technologies are allowing us to take charge of our own health.

We now have access to countless mobile apps and devices that compile data and offer various health-related solutions. And wearable technology – like fitness bands and smartwatches that can track our movement, heart rate and other vitals – are also helping revolutionize how we care for ourselves.

However, while this easy access to personal health data helps level the playing field so we can make more informed decisions about our health, an equally important area is the continuously evolving relationship between patients and their providers. Driven by consumer demand and funds, health records available via wearables and apps are easily outstripping what providers are capable of managing. Whether providers start offering similar solutions to their patients or facilitate connections to their wearables to solve this problem, communication between patients, devices, and providers is still lacking.

According to a recent report, good doctor-patient communication makes a significant difference in overall patient satisfaction as well as in patient outcomes such as lower blood sugar values in diabetics, improved blood pressure readings, resolution of chronic headaches and many other critical health indicators.

This concept of patient engagement is a growing trend that is not going to disappear – it should be viewed as something that can benefit everyone involved, including both the health professional and the patient. One increasingly popular method of enhancing the provider-patient relationship is via online patient portals.

Fostering a Patient Participation Landscape

Many medical practices today are embracing user-friendly patient portals, helping them increase patient engagement as well as provide a more personal connection. Patient portals are an important part of the customer acquisition lifecycle, joining marketing automation tools and social media outreach as modern ways that practices use to attract new patients and keep them engaged with the practice’s main product: quality healthcare.

Often used as a supplement to the ongoing management of a patient’s care, a patient portal is a web-based access point that allows patients and providers to engage and share health information remotely. Patient portals give people the health-related data they need, like prescription information, doctors’ notes, patient networks, access to health history and essential records.
The result: patients and providers that share access to health information can collaborate more effectively and experience more informed decision-making.
With patient portal software, doctors can provide follow-up information following an office visit or a hospital stay, such as self-care instructions, reminder messages for follow-up appointments, as well as links to relevant online resources.
While the market is full of tools for patients to manage their health, patient portals are still the predominant technology in use for patients to connect with providers and collaborate on their healthcare.
Additionally, patient portal technology can help create an optimal communication path for providers and patients. Medical practices, for example, can manage appointment schedules electronically and exchange emails with patients. This quick, easy communication strategy can also help providers identify symptoms sooner and position them to be more proactive with patients.

Patient Portals: Three Advantages

Patient portals are a convenient and powerful way for providers, administrators and patients to work together as a team.
From chronic care and assisting patients to schedule and billing, these tools have a wide range of benefits. Here are three advantages:

1. It encourages patients to drive their own care. Online portals give patients the tools to efficiently view their personal health data, helping to bridge the gap between their information and that of their health care team members. Details can range from app-collected data generated from wearable devices to family histories or recent symptoms. This crucial information gives doctors valuable insights into clinical issues and is a smart way to getting patients to become more active in their own healthcare.

According to recent research, patients who report having access to their own health data say they feel better prepared to interact with doctors about their own care.

2. Increased prescription adherence. According to one recent study, when patients have easy access to doctors’ notes – often via patient portals – they actually have increased rates of adhering to their medications and prescriptions because they are more engaged in and educated about their overall treatment plans.

3. Enhanced patient loyalty. When a patient portal is used, many medical providers report that the streamlined process helps increase their overall patient loyalty. For example, if you have an orthopedic-related issue and you have an ongoing relationship with an orthopedic surgeon, it can be extremely helpful to be able to continue the conversation after your office visit.

One athena Research study revealed that patient portal users tend to make a return visit to a practice within 18 months versus non-portal users.

In the Long Run, Better Outcomes

When patients have access to their health data, they become more informed. As a result, there is a great opportunity to generate meaningful conversations regarding his or her overall health care.

Patient portal software allows patients to effectively and efficiently communicate with their medical team members about concerns that would otherwise necessitate an often-costly in-person visit.

Through easier and more frequent communication and engagement, patients feel more satisfied with their provider and overall care, which can ultimately lead to better outcomes in the long run.