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Patient portals: Build them well and they will come

October 3, 2019

Let’s face it, there will always be a segment of your patient population that just isn’t interested in using a patient portal. But with so much of life now conducted online, the good news is that robust design and usefulness will engage most patients.

Over time, a portal should become the foundation for more extensive electronic communications between patient and provider—a tiny seedling that will hopefully blossom into a collaborative relationship. So, what functionalities should patient portal tools have to succeed?

Perhaps the best approach for many care provider organizations is to follow a progressive strategy, starting with some basics and moving toward a robust tool that enhances the patient/provider relationship.

The Starter Set
According to polling data, patients want to schedule appointments, pay bills and view records online, and most providers don’t offer this trifecta. It makes sense to start with these three basic capabilities because they’re relatively easy to install and attractive to patients.

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