What do you do when you go meet a physician ? Explain in detail about your medical history and pray that you haven’t left out anything. Now you just need to hand your smartphone to the doctor. The trend of accessing medical data through smartphones is growing at a fast clip.
And major smartphones such as iPhone and Android apps offer applications to, store, download, and manage patient information.
A success story…
The University of Pittsburgh Medical center found that patients joining the medical practice’s patient portal grew exponentially after reports were available through smartphones. The project launched in 2011 has been a roaring success with 700 patients joining the portal every week. Patients’ being able to access their medical records is a major criterion for qualifying for MU. And smartphones have just made it easier for doctors!
How do you get Mrs Linder interested ?
Despite the optimism and euphoria surrounding the success of smartphones to help patients use patient portals, engaging them is a key issue. Mayo clinic found out the hard way that engaging patient is no easy task.
Patient engagement ; an on-going challenge…
When they launched a web based portal three years ago, 240,000 patients joined. Reason to celebrate! But wait. The clinic is having a tough time getting patients to using the portal. To receive MU dollars patients should use the patient portal. Patients who are too old or those who are suspicious of technology need to join the bandwagon as well.
Show that you care !
To engage patients it is important that patient portals are designed from the patients’ perspective. Address their needs and make the portal fit in with their overall healthcare plan. Making the portal easily navigable and using images and text that are easy on the eye is important. And yes the assurance that their data is completely secure.
Not everybody understands encryption protocols or static passwords. Educate and train your patients in handling healthcare IT. Encourage patients to use graphical authentication techniques. And, to separate medical data, from, the other regular features, of their, mobile phones.
Fighting the good fight !
It can be frustrating, pointless and time consuming. But staying the course can help your practice not just receive MU incentive dollars and achieve compliance. But also make hundreds of your patients happy and more involved in their healthcare.
Here is the info-graphics with few stats on patient portal
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