Patient engagement portals are the latest buzz in HealthIT. With people willing to be informed about and motivated to be involved in their own medical care, patient portals are serving the purpose with an accessible and affordable approach.
Patient Portals enable a secure, continuous connection between the patient and provider, thereby bridging the gap in accessing and rendering care. These portals utilize the best of following three components to ensure that value is added to the healthcare ecosystem.
- Patient Accountability: A patient’s behaviour towards their health is one of the major factors in improving the system of care. When patients consistently monitor their health habits, control their chronic conditions, and stay motivated for a fitter lifestyle, they are making a step ahead towards better health.
- Tools and Technology: Mobile apps, wearables, personal health management tools, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain are a few tools and technologies that go a long way in managing and improving health.
- Data and Information: Patients being able to access their personal health records (PHR), share their health vitals with doctors (data from wearables/mhealth apps/PHM tools), communicate with healthcare providers (physician’s information, details for appointment booking etc.) improves the system of care.
Considering the aid that patient portals provide to the healthcare stakeholders, there is a list of some essentials that must be available in these portals. With our experience in healthcare application development, here we share a few must haves of a successful patient portal.
1. Scheduling Consultation/Follow-Ups
The facility to book an appointment with physicians, pathologists, or other healthcare service provider is a must have in any patient portal. Users being able to explore the right provider, their experience, specialization, consultation fee, reviews etc. can help them to avail services that best responds to the health requirements.
2. eVisit or Remote Consultation Setup
Enabling e-visit between patients and healthcare providers can add value to your portal. An eVisit is generally a remote-consultation setup, wherein elementary diagnosis, prescription request, consent over a medicine etc. can happen. For this, any of the chatting medium can be adopted (text, video, audio).Meanwhile, in order to make remote consultations as effective as F2F, it is important to consider and address the challenges attached to it.
3. Security and Health Record Maintenance
Electronic Health Records (EHR) gives anywhere, anytime access to the medical records as they are saved on device or cloud. By integrating an EHR system in patient portal, HDOs can ensure that there is an instant access to the health vitals, reports, or prescription. Such an information is used by doctors or other care providers to stay informed about patients and define medication accordingly.
When patient’s data comes into picture, it is important to ascertain that the portal follow healthcare compliances. For protecting data and information, making the portal HIPAA compliant is important. According to the features and functionalities added, regulations and compliances should be followed to ensure security of data from being shared from external sources, without patient’s consent.
4. Prescription and Medical Adherence
The facility to provide and update prescription online can help patients to avoid any unnecessary gaps in care. Also, notifying patients about medication can given them a peace of mind about continuity in maintaining care.
5. Information Sharing Module
As discussed above, informed patients can contribute their health (for the good) and to the entire healthcare system. Modules that enable doctors, hospitals, clinicians, and other healthcare providers to keep the patients informed are an effective and affordable medium to improve care. Articles, Q&A sessions etc. can help in this concern.
Patient Portal Development: A Move towards Faster, Better Care
Patient portals that are user-friendly, secure, and advanced is an amalgamation of right technology and execution. Patient portal development for mobile apps is one of the convenient approach to engaged and informed patients. For any inquiries or getting started with your own patient portal, connect to our healthcare expert via free 30 minutes consultation service.
