4 Benefits of Patient Portals for Healthcare

Entering the digital age of healthcare the patient portal is one of the top tools that patients and providers utilize on a daily basis. This is the online starting point for providers looking to increase patient engagement and for patients eager to stay informed on their personal health.

The patient portal has quickly become one of the vertebrae in the backbone of health care. Healthcare is constantly changing and developing, so it is important to have a tool like this to make sure providers are meeting the equally shifting needs and desires of patients. So what are the specific benefits of patient portals for healthcare? Read below to figure out exactly why any practice should be utilizing this tool.

1)    Communication Exchange

The first and one of the most important benefits of a patient portal is the increase in communication capability. In the past, patients have had to work hard to have their questions answered and their concerns addressed by their physician. Scheduling an in-person appointment or waiting for a phone call used to be the only way that patients could communicate with their healthcare provider. Now, the patient portal has made it possible for patients to quickly access their providers from their computer or mobile device. Patients can message their providers with non-urgent questions, concerns, and symptoms. Providers can then determine whether or not a patient should set an in-office visit, an e-visit, or suggest any next steps the patient should take. This open communication between patients and their providers helps to increase patient engagement and the number of better outcomes.

2)    Online Bill Management

Now providers can get more on-time payments and increased revenue with online bill management for patients. Instead of the ambiguity that has always surrounded medical bills and payments, patients can see their bills and make payments directly from their online patient portal. This helps to make sure they are making payments more regularly and on time. This is a relief to both the patient and the provider. Being able to see their bills helps patients to understand them better and feel more secure in making those payments. At the same time, the provider feels the relief that comes with receiving more on-time payments from their patients.

3)    Appointments/Advanced Check-in

Patients often avoid scheduling appointments or coming into the office due to something that may seem simple, making a phone call. While calling the office may not seem like a big deal, hold times and conversations can become inconvenient for patients. Making time in their day to call during office hours in order to make an appointment is not always possible for every patient. Neither is arriving to an intake appointment early to complete paperwork. The patient portal makes it possible for patients to schedule their doctor appointments online whenever they have time. The patient portal also allows patients to complete documentation and update their information from their computer before the appointment. This is not limited to office hours or in-office time, which makes seeing a provider a much simpler process.

4)    Complete Integration

Now, the patient portal is not just for viewing information and messaging your provider. The latest and most beneficial patient portals offer complete integration with all other healthcare technology. This includes the billing integration, but also integration with telehealth technology and mobile applications. All in one place, patients can complete telehealth visits with their providers, pay their bills, and view/update all of their personal health information. To top it off, patients can do this all from their compatible mobile device. Having a patient portal available on a mobile application makes healthcare even more convenient for patients who are constantly on the go. It brings healthcare to the patient, wherever they are at. This means the world to patients who have had to put healthcare on the backburner due to their busy lives.

These four benefits of the patient portal are the reasons that this tool is so important to the delivery of healthcare to patients around the country. The patient portal is an important part of any practice, with its ability to increase patient engagement and develop the relationship between patient and provider.

A practice should make sure they have the best patient portal available to their patients to see the most success in these areas and in their practice, overall. If you are interested in finding out more about how your patients can benefit from a patient portal, contact us. We’re happy to provide you with more detailed information & give a free demo.