Page 29 - 2020 Risk Reduction Series Effective Systems_Part 1_Flipbook

SVMIC Risk Reduction Series: Effective Systems

Patient Portals

Practices can make use of electronic patient
portals for notification of normal non-sensitive

test results for those patients who have signed
a written consent or electronically agreed to

receive information via the portal. However,
it is not reasonable to assume all patients

are able or choose to use the portal. Practices should have a
way of verifying that patients have accessed the portal before

utilizing this as the sole vehicle of notification of normal, non-
sensitive results. Patients who do not use the portal should be

notified of normal test results through another mechanism. It is
not acceptable, from a risk or customer service perspective, to

advise patients that the only method of normal test notification
available will be through the portal.

Electronic notification systems may be employed by some

practices to share normal results of laboratory tests with
patients. Although there are a variety of systems available, many

employ the use of a confidential patient identifier that the patient
enters when calling a designated phone number. The patient

identifier then provides the patient with a patient-specific
message, which indicates that the test result was normal or, if

abnormal, the physician has requested that the patient call the
office for the test results.

Any patient with a significantly abnormal result, sensitive
information, or a result requiring immediate action should be

personally notified, and those results should not be posted
to the portal prior to patient notification. In addition, if the

abnormal results include potentially serious or unanticipated
consequences, the results should be given to the patient by the

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