Patient portals have become a critical part of patient care for many clinics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these portals have become even more critical to offer telehealth services as clinics limit in-person access or patients worry about the risks of going to a clinic in person.
Medication Refills
Patients managing multiple or chronic health conditions need to stay on top of medication even if they cannot come in for regular visits to your clinic. For some clinics, COVID-19 has also limited regular hours, making it harder for patients to call at a time when someone is in the office. Patient portals allow 24/7 refill requests, and your providers and staff to approve those at any time that is convenient.
Patient-Provider Messaging
Patients use the messaging features in the portal to ask quick questions that would otherwise have required a phone call. Portals allow patients and providers to stay in touch and maintain better health, even during a pandemic when in-person visits present more risks.
Patients who test positive for COVID-19 can also benefit from portal messaging. They will need to avoid clinic visits to prevent the spread to other patients and clinical staff, but the portal gives them a critical line of communication to ask questions, so they don’t have to fight the disease alone.
Appointment Access & Telemedicine
Many patient portals integrate with telemedicine software. As patients schedule telemedicine visits, they receive information through their patient portal, including instructions on how to log in for the visit and any software or programs they will need for a successful telemed visit. Plus all the information about the visit is automatically transferred to the EHR and the medical billing software to ensure accurate records and streamline medical billing services.
Lab & Test Results
Many clinics and providers send test results through patient portals. That’s even more important now as patients are anxiously waiting for results from COVID-19 testing, antibody testing, and any other routine and necessary tests during the pandemic.
The old way of trying to call a patient to give them a test result can mean long delays as your staff plays “phone tag” with someone. Speedy test result delivery is especially relevant for patients awaiting COVID-19 test results. People who get tested need to know ASAP – positive results so they can avoid contact with others and self-isolate, or negative results so they can resume normal activities. Sending results via a portal saves everyone valuable time and could even prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Share Information
Portals also allow your clinic to share important information about COVID-19, clinic hours, changes to your schedule, heightened safety and cleaning measures, and more. During this time when a lot is uncertain, the portal is a vital communication tool that you can use to your advantage.
Portals won’t necessarily make everything seem “normal” right now, but they can definitely improve your ability to provide care. Talk to AdvancedMD to see a demo of our patient portal today.
