Could incentivizing nurse leadership alter a physician’s acceptance of secure me
ID: 671657 • Letter: C
Question
Could incentivizing nurse leadership alter a physician’s acceptance of secure messaging offered to nurses through a patient portal for non-emergencies and outpatient care?
How has the Technology Acceptance Model fostered a culture of acceptance in the workplace?
Has the perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) of technology, as outlined by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), supported or diminished the acceptance of patient portals?
What kind of issues have patient portals created?
How many facilities that you know of use patient portals?
Does the patient portal that is used allow patients to place information from other specialists or providers they see? If not, is this something that will be done in the future to make the portals more effective for patients use? If so, do patients utilize this function?
What types of patients use the portals? For example: are they usually sicker, being seen more frequently, long list of medications, are they older, or younger, etc?
Explanation / Answer
What kind of issues have patient portals created?
Many older patients, particularly those falling between the ages of 50-80, are not particularly computer savvy, Gross said, and therefore will not utilize portals or will become increasingly frustrated by them if they do. With one of the largest generations, Baby Boomers, coming of that age currently, providers have been having a tough go of it getting patients to opt-in to portals, let alone email.
There is a real risk that patients will misuse a patient portal for emergency situations
Patient portals need to be secured and kept up to date with security patches,” added Gross. “In addition, vulnerability and penetration tests should be performed on the portal to ensure that known vulnerabilities are discovered and remediated to minimize the chance of hackers accessing information. Strong password policies need to be implemented to ensure that patients are not using passwords that are easy to guess or crack.”
How many facilities that you know of use patient portals?
Raise patient portal awareness
To provide an initial introduction to the patient portal, you can have staff assist patients with portal registration at check-in or checkout and provide step-by-step instructions for entering demographic and insurance information required for that day’s visit. Hanging posters promoting the portal in the waiting room and exam rooms is also a very cost-effective way of raising awareness.
If your organization has a website, you will want to promote the portal by placing a link to the page in a prominent place with a strong call to action. Sending an email blast to your entire patient database is another great way to raise awareness
Assign a care coordinator
If your healthcare organization uses patient care coordinators to promote health awareness and help patients reach their care goals, you know how integral these individuals are to the care team. They work with the physician and patient to develop a care plan, they communicate the provider’s plan to the patient, and they continually assess the patient’s needs. They also play a vital role in expediting patient portal adoption.
Strengthen the physician’s role
Physicians have one of the most important roles in promoting the patient portal. In fact, patients who are encouraged by their physician to begin using the portal are more likely to do so. However, the physician’s role doesn’t end after suggesting that the patient create a portal account. Once patients are using the patient portal, the physician must continue to reinforce its use. One way to do so is by mentioning the portal at each visit and specifically referencing a feature in which the patient might find value.
4. Highlight useful features
Send and receive secure messages from their physician.
Access lab results without having to wait for a callback from the physician’s office.
Schedule appointments without having to call the office.
Request medication refills online.
Does the patient portal that is used allow patients to place information from other specialists or providers they see
Examine your patient panel and identify patients who can most benefit from communication with the practice through the portal. These are patients who:
Promote the portal
Every encounter your practice has with a patient should include outreach on using the patient portal. To do this, your front-office staff and providers must work together.
It’s important that every employee who discusses the portal with patients shares a consistent message. It can be helpful to develop a script of important points for employees that cover the benefits of using the portal. It’s critical to include physicians and other providers in this effort, since their use of the portal will be key to obtaining patient buy-in.
What types of patients use the portals?