Why Easy to Use Patient Portals are Now More Important Than Ever
post by Matt Lawson, TriMed Technologies - January 20, 2021

Blog13_PatientPortalsImportant

Patient portals have quickly become one of the most important tools in a doctor's arsenal. They provide an easy way for patients to access their medical records, communicate with doctors, make appointments and perform a variety of other tasks related to the management of their medical care. In today's world, it is more important than ever for patient portals to be easy to use and "tech-friendly" to all patients, regardless of their level of technical knowledge. TriMed Complete EHR is one of the few EHRs on the market that has a truly user-friendly patient portal.

There are many benefits that come with having a user-friendly patient portal. For example, because the TriMed Patient Engagement patient portal is simple yet robust, patients can quickly make appointments and communicate with healthcare facilities without the struggle or frustration of navigating complex phone systems in an attempt to speak to a real person and not just leave a voicemail. As with all TriMed Technologies platforms, the TriMed Patient Engagement patient portal is HIPAA compliant and secure so that patients feel comfortable and confident that their information is safe and protected.

Patient engagement platforms and patient portals serve many purposes including real-time appointment booking, patient form submissions, online check-in, appointment reminders via email and SMS, and providing patients with access to their own medical records without the hassle of traditional record requests. Other capabilities include insurance verification, online bill pay, and patient messaging between providers and patients on a secure, HIPAA compliant, encrypted platform. A very important feature of a user-friendly patient portal is the ability to keep an accurate record of communication and conversations between practices, practitioners, and patients outside of their set appointments. This prevents miscommunication and misunderstanding in regard to their medical plan of care as set forth by their physicians.

As with TriMed Complete EHR, there is no application or proprietary hardware required to access the platforms, so it is easily accessible by all devices, 24/7. This eliminates headaches and struggles of both practitioners and patients who may not be "tech-savvy".

When a patient portal is too complicated to navigate or use, patients and their caregivers may find themselves frustrated and unable to communicate effectively with their doctors. In fact, in some cases, they may be so frustrated that they will avoid using the patient portal altogether. Patients who choose not to use their patient portals and methods of communication provided by the practice, such as SMS and email appointment reminders and online bill pay, are more like to miss appointments, fail to pay their medical bills on time, and even miss important health updates related to the plan of care their provider has set forth for them.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, a patient portal must be coupled with the EHR. Many portals are add-on products that sit outside the ecosphere of the EHR product. This either means the data in the portal is limited and unhelpful, or it means providers and their staff must work to send and update the data in the portal. TriMed Complete offers a portal that is effortlessly updated without extra intervention by the providers or staff.

If your practice is looking for a patient engagement program with a user-friendly patient portal, then TriMed Complete EHR is the right choice for you. With its simple yet robust design, TriMed 's patient portal is one of the most user-friendly portals on the market. Contact us today to learn more about our patient engagement solutions and how they can benefit you and your patients.

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