Page 26 - Part 2 Navigating Electronic Media in a Healthcare Setting

SVMIC Navigating Electronic Media in a Healthcare Setting

As a historical perspective, CMS believed that healthcare providers
were in the best position to encourage patients to take a more

active role in their healthcare by using Health Information

Technology (Health IT), such as patient portals. In 2014, CMS
established the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, often

referred to as Meaningful Use. To meet the requirements of this
program, healthcare providers had to have a patient portal

installed.

While Meaningful Use may have been the triggering factor for
many providers to adopt a patient portal, most providers who

actively use the portal today are finding the benefits far outweigh
the challenges. In addition to being encouraged by the

government, a properly set up portal provides a safe and secure
means to communicate with patients and patients’ family

members. Portals provide patients with a convenient means to

access their own medical records, allowing them to take
“ownership” of their healthcare. Communications from patients,

including descriptions of conditions, are in the patient’s own

words; and, because most portals provide data log verification,
providers can track a patient’s or patient’s family member’s activity

within the portal.

Additional benefits include allowing documented communication

to be easily incorporated into the patient’s chart and permitting

other providers to view communications between patient/provider
and provider/provider. Physicians and staff can work remotely

while providing care to the patient using real-time information.

The most often-cited benefit of a patient portal is that it promotes

efficiency. By encouraging patients and staff to use the portal, the

amount of time expended in telephone interaction, medication

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