The Rise of Patient Passports in Electronic Medical Records February 25, 2016

Electronic medical records have quickly become the norm in practices around the United States, with more and more offices switching to this modern system each year. But even as the use of EMRs grow, one of its most important features, the patient portal, remains an underappreciated element.

What Are Patient Portals?

Patient portals are platforms allowing patients to connect with their living, evolving data. This data changes after each new doctor’s visit, pharmaceutical prescription, and emergency room trip.

Aside from keeping records of lab tests, immunizations, medications, and allergies, patient portals facilitate better, more efficient communication between doctors and patients. While phone calls for information tend to be long, physicians using patient portals have found patients ask shorter, more direct questions when using the provided messaging system. In fact, government case studies have found that once accustomed to using a patient portal, doctors use their time more efficiently and find themselves wishing more patients would use the portal, rather than traditional methods, for simple tasks like prescription refill requests.

Administrative efficiency is far from the only benefit. A study by the California Healthcare Foundation concluded that potential benefits of patient portals also include cost savings, more effective care, and improved responsiveness to patients’ needs.

Does Elation have a Patient Portal?

Yes! It’s called Patient Passport.

Elation’s Patient Passport is a successful, well-developed patient portal. It received its name because of how it acts like a normal passport by containing all of a patient’s history. But instead of countries, it deals with care providers. Just like you get a stamp in your official passport every time you enter a country, the Patient Passport is the record for each time you visit a healthcare provider. This critical information allows new providers to properly assess a patient’s medical record. Helping to promote longitudinal care by having all providers able to seamlessly collaborate on a patient’s care.

In a recent article by patient portal software reviews company Software Advice, the Patient Passport has also received rave reviews from patients for its simplicity of use and ability to to connect them with their providers and information. A process initiated by the physician’s office takes only two clicks to get the patient up and running to access lab results, view immunization history, or review visit notes. Giving your patient the opportunity to be as knowledgeable about their health records as their providers.

“Passport enables me to send information to the patient, who can then share that file with anyone they want. So now, no matter where the patient or I are in the world, if we both have an internet connection their data is available to them.”

– Susan Sorenson, Internal Medicine, Los Altos, CA

The patient portal is a vital component of any EMR system, and your patients will cherish this tool that facilitates a connection with their records and providers.