A clinical data portal is an online platform for viewing patients’ clinical data. The portal may serve a dual purpose:
- A patient portal where patients can retrieve and view lab results, schedule appointments, ask questions, update their profiles, and change insurance providers.
- A clinical portal where clinicians can monitor patients’ health status, improve engagement with patients, and streamline workflows.
Altogether they offer the following benefits to healthcare providers.
1. Improved Productivity
A portal with clinical data improves communication between clinicians and patients. Clinicians are more productive and can help patients enjoy the feeling of importance they get when they interact with their physician directly.
Patient portals also reduce the time it takes for new patients to sign up. Patients can submit their personal information online and don’t need to answer the same questions when they come to your clinic.
Portals also improve efficiency by giving patients instant access to their lab results. You don’t have to send them by email or over the phone. The ability of patients to exchange messages with their doctors also saves the time of other staff like nurses and medical assistants. Patients receive prompt reminders about their appointments, which can increase the number of patients doctors treat per day.
2. Better Telemedicine
Patient portals minimize unimportant visits to your clinic. This enables you to spend time with patients that need your attention. Other consultations can be done through the portal’s messaging system.
For instance, instead of a patient booking an appointment just to change their medication, they can make an inquiry through the portal. This feature allows patients that are ill or need an examination, diagnosis, or treatment in-person to schedule an in-office visit.
3. Reduction of Medical Errors
When medical office staff receive calls from patients, they have to pass on the information to nurses and doctors. This transfer of information through a third-party creates room for errors.
On the other hand, receiving messages directly from patients enables you to assess their needs correctly without making assumptions.
Also, telemedicine features in clinical data portals can help mitigate prescription errors. Since the portal is connected to the EMR or practice management system, it can check for allergies and drug-to-drug interactions.
4. Efficient Billing and Payment
Patients can view their billing information directly on their portal profile. They can sign consent forms and see the cost of their proposed treatment and compare different types of treatment plans and their associated costs before they make their choice. The portal can also be used to receive online payments for treatment that would otherwise be paid for with cash.
Learn More About Clinic Data Portals
Call Lifepoint Informatics today at 877.522.8378 to see how a patient portal works. We will show you a live demo of a portal that can help you improve your practice through better engagement with your patients.