Week 4 Reflection

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American Military University *

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501

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Health Science

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Feb 20, 2024

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Reflection Week 4- Patient Portals and Communication Name American Military University HCAD501 Technology Application in Healthcare Organizations Dr. Barbara Cliff November 27, 2023

Patient Portals continue to evolve as the healthcare Information technology space evolves. The patient portal is a secure online application or website providing patients with convenient 24-hour access to their medical records. It also allows patients to set appointments, pay medical bills, and communicate with their healthcare service providers and other interdisciplinary teams. A patient portal is often a tool provided by the healthcare provider to the patient, allowing patients and their authorized caregivers to view personal health information such as lab results, immunization or medication list, access patient educational resources, update administrative information, request medication refills and securely message healthcare provider (Grando et al., 2015). Patient Portal provides several benefits to patients, families, and healthcare service providers; implementing healthcare information technologies such as patient portals have helped facilitate patient engagement and improve patient-physician collaboration. The engagement of patients and improved collaboration have been identified through several research studies to improve the outcome of care. As such, better and improved patient-physician engagement is one of the many benefits of patient portals. The ability of the patient portal to improve clinical outcomes is beyond beneficial to the patient; several tools are embedded within the patient portal that enable patients to request refills of their medication and enable physicians to send patient referrals to specialists as needed by the patient.; thus, eliminating delays in care and improving clinical outcomes. Optimization of workflow and reduction of waste is also one of the many benefits of the patient portal; patients can manage appointments with physicians, request electronic medical records, and have lab test results transferred from third-party labs to patient physicians, shortening workflow timelines and optimizing patient care coordination. The ability of patients to also manage and pay their bills through the patient portal provides easy access to a

patient explanation of the benefit "EOB," thus making it easy for the patients to understand the financial aspect of their healthcare plan. While patient portals provide better access to patient records and enhance patient- physician engagement and communication, there are security concerns; patient portals provide valuable health information that could be accessible to hackers. Poor password management and online access make patient-protected health information (PHI) a target for online fraudsters and hackers. Alienation and Health Disparities is also a disadvantage of the patient portal; the increasing percentage of low-income people with no internet access in their household create limitation and health disparities. The patient portal also creates unintended extra work for the provider as healthcare providers now need to implement cyber security protections to protect patient PHI while also convincing patients to utilize the portal; as such, physicians spend more time convincing patients to use the portal. In contrast, most patients think they do not need the portal. As the aging population continues to increase, the patient portal creates confusion and anxiety for the older population. Trying to learn the patient portal platform functionality not only confuses some users but also increases their anxiety. While Evidence regarding health outcomes related to the patient portal is generally favorable, patient portals can enhance the doctor-patient relationship, improve health status awareness, and increase adherence to therapy" (Carini et al., 2021). However, the potential exposure to hackers and the possibility of identity theft continues to be challenging. As health information technology continues to grow and the adoption of technology such as patient portals continues to increase, it is imperative to continue improving patient information security and designing user-friendly patient portals while educating the patient on usage.

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References Carini, E., Villani, L., Pezzullo, A. M., Gentili, A., Barbara, A., Ricciardi, W., & Boccia, S. (2021). The impact of digital patient portals on health outcomes, system efficiency, and patient attitudes: Updated Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(9). https://doi.org/10.2196/26189 Grando, M. A., Rozenblum, R., & Bates, D. W. (2015b). Part I: Information Technology for Patient Empowerment: 360° Perspectives. In Information Technology for patient empowerment in healthcare (pp. 8–8). essay, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/detail.action?docID=1609435 .

Week 4 Reflection

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