Question

An integrated healthcare system implemented an electronic health record. In preparation for the implementation of a patient portal system, the healthcare organization aimed to better understand the current technology utilization of its patients and the preferences associated with the use of a patient portal for accessing electronic personal health information. 1. As the healthcare system prepares to implement a patient portal as part of the electronic health record, what method(s) should the organization use to market the portal to patients?

Answer 1

Electronic health record is the storing of patient information and their health information in digital format. It has main component of registration, admission, discharge, and transfer data.

Electronic health records has patient portal that has allow patient to use access the health information by registering in to electronic health record and able to communicate with specific health provider about the their health at any time by online mode

Benefits of patient portal:

· it helps the patient to access hospital at any time

· it helps the patient to get prescription from their health provider

· it helps the patient to get investigation report from the hospital

· it gives reminder of consulting date and investigation date and test

· it helps the patient to clarify their questions

· it is secure message between patient and health care provider

· patient can pay their bills through patient portals

The organization should make the patient portals to reach patient by the following methods

Enrollment methods: mailing address of any patient can be included in the electronic health record and can be send the mail to everyone who has never been enrolled in the electronic health record and the supplement the information about of accessing patient portals along with user name and password of accessing the information.

Involvement of staff: patient spends most of time interacting with receptionists, nurses and other allied health professionals while visiting hospitals. Staffs of the organization may be involved to promote the patient to get access the patient portals and benefits of the patient portals. Staffs provide appointment through online to patient when patient call for appointment and provide information to access the patient portals to get use of patient portals by getting prescription, investigation report, clinical summary of the information

Providing Encouragement: patient can be encouraged by providing the benefits of the patient portals when patient calls an organization at any time for making appointment, when they visit the hospital for consultation

Providing Handout and using social media: the patient can be encouraged to use patient portals by the providing handout with list of benefits and access the health information. Today everyone use social media to communicate the information and share information, therefore, the health care organization should use social media to market patient portals to patient

Organization market benefits of patient portals: the organization should the market the patient portals by informing the benefits such as making appointments communicate with the physician and send an emergency message

Providing information to Promote the new feature: if the organization needs the update the new features in the electronic health records, inform the patients the regarding the changes in the patient portal.

Providing Encouragement to the older patient use patient portals: many patients with chronic conditions are elderly people, inform the older patients to get use of patient portals. Most of elderly patient with chronic disease are get involved if they are trained to use patient portal. Because they are vulnerable people that is they unable to visit the health care facilities due to their disability.

Providing Features   that motivate patient to use patient portals: every patient needs different sources of information to different conditions. So the organizations make the use of different information and include this information in patient portal. This helps the patient to use of patient portals.

Providing Incentive: the organization should give the incentive to medical bill of patients who have used patient portals for ordering, making appointments with their health care provider. If the patient gets success over the using patient portals, most of the hardest of part of marketing the patient portal get successful.

Providing information in their national language: it helps the patient with uneducated and has little knowledge of English to use information in their national language and to get use of patient portal