Why?

Patient portals typically allow access to EMR data at the organization hosting the portal.  The portal can also include access to things such as billing information, online scheduling, questionnaires, and much more.  The major shortcoming that most patient portals have is that they are tied to only one organization.  If a patient travels to many organizations for their healthcare they normally need to log into each organization’s portal to get access to their information.  This results in a fragmented view of their data.   Enter the PHR (personal health record)…

A PHR can be thought of as a holding tank for a patient’s health information.  A patient portal should not be thought of as a PHR unless it has the ability to import and export medical information from several different sources.  Since most patient portals are not PHR’s it is important that they have the ability to export data as a CCD/CCR  (Continuity of Care Record/Document).  The CCD can be imported into major PHR’s like Microsoft’s Healthvault, Epic’s Lucy, or Google Health. 

It is a major convenience for patients to be able to take their information with them if they go to other organizations or move to a different location.  In addition patients like to have all their information in one place for ease of review.

 

Requirements

When considering a patient portal product make sure it has the ability to export EMR data to a CCD/CCR.  PHR’s are still only used by a small percentage of patients, but as more and more features become available, and as healthcare organizations fully move into the electronic world, the need for PHR integration is critical for all patient portals. 

Questions to Ask

To Vendors

Does your product export CCD’s/CCR’s?

Does your portal fully populate the CCD/CCR? 

If not, what sections of the CCD/CCR are left out?

NOTE: Many vendors do not populate the CCD/CCR fully.  This is especially true when dealing with lab/test results.  Make sure you check this with your vendor.

For Patients

Can I export my information to my PHR?

What data is included in the CCD/CCR?

 

 

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Posted by Aaron Carlock on November 9th, 2009 :: Filed under Choosing a Patient Portal
Tags :: CCD/CCR, CEO, CIO, Director, EMR, Features, Patient, Patient Portal, PHR, Vendor

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Why?

Patients love the convenience of e-visits when available.  The best demographic for e-visits are patients who live far away from their clinics, have kids, or who don’t want to spend 2-4 hours for a trip to the doctor when all they need is a quick answer or diagnosis for a minor symptom.  Some possible symptoms could be common cold, sinus infections, urinary problems, cough, diarrhea and back pain. 

Providing a route for patients to take that does not require them to come to the clinic benefits them and your organization.  Many organizations find that overall utilization drops when e-visits are implemented, some places by as much as 25%.  This makes e-visits a very interesting proposition for insurance companies, although few actually re-imburse for them currently.

E-visits, with the proper functionality, also allow the patient to update their allergies, vital signs, and history information. 

E-visits are the way of the future for healthcare since they can help lower costs by decreasing utilization and improving care efficiency.  Patients also enjoy the lower co-pays that e-visits provide.  As more and more patients look to lower their healthcare costs they will increase usage of alternative options like e-visits and nurse only visits.   

Providing e-visits allows the standard healthcare organization to offer a product that can compete on price with the retail clinics that are popping up in strip malls and Walmart.

Requirements

A patient portal offering e-visit functionality needs to provide several tools to make the e-visit flow usable.   For starters, most states require that a patient is notified up front that they may be charged for the visit so having a terms and conditions agreement option is critical.  The phr should also allow for the entry of history, allergies, vitals and other information collected during a standard office visit. 

Since the information is provided by the patient, the data should not immediately sync in with the permanent chart until reviewed by a clinician or physician.  Since the CMS code 99444 states that a timely response is required workqueue functionality must exist so that the e-visits are reviewed by physicians quickly. 

Code 99444 also states that an e-visit can only occur with an existing patient, once in any given seven-day period. 

Questions to Ask

To Vendors

Is there integration to process credit card payments?

Can questionnaires be customized based on the symptom the patient enters?

What kind of logic can be configured to route the e-visit request to the appropriate provider?

What tools are available to the provider to work the e-visits quickly and efficiently?

Are there customizable restrictions available to help comply with the laws, such as only allowing one e-visit in a seven-day period?  Or are people working the e-visits required to check for compliance?

For Patients

How much does it cost?  (most places charge $30-$35, but the majority of patients feel like they should be cheaper or that they should be free)

How long will it take to hear back?

Can I get a prescription via an e-visit?

 

 

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Posted by Aaron Carlock on November 5th, 2009 :: Filed under Choosing a Patient Portal
Tags :: CEO, CIO, Director, E-visits, EMR, Features, Patient, Patient Portal, PHR, Vendor

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Why?

Most folks expect to be able to pay their bills online.  It saves the patient and the organization time and money.  Collection rates will go up because accuracy of billing improves and patients are more likely to pay when it is convenient for them. 

Requirements

Just think what tools are available to you when you go to pay your cell phone bill online.  The patient portal vendor should offer similar features, i.e. bill pay, electronic statements, charge and claim review, etc.  This type of functionality has been around for years from the major banks and credit card companies, it is high time the health care world caught up.

Questions to Ask

To Vendors

Can patients pay their bills online?

What credit card APIs are supported?

Are there extra costs or license fees when using the billing features?

Are accurate electronic statements available?  If so, can they replace paper statements?

Is there opt-in functionality to support patients switching to electronic statements?

For Patients

Can I pay my bill online?

Can I view my statement online?

Are there extra fees for paying my bill online?

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Posted by Aaron Carlock on November 2nd, 2009 :: Filed under Choosing a Patient Portal
Tags :: CEO, CIO, Director, EMR, Features, Online Billing, Patient, Patient Portal, PHR, Statements, Vendor

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