The Patient Portal is a secure, online method for patients to interact with information that their own healthcare provider allows them to view, as relevant to the Provider’s own EHR and Practice Management systems. It can include a patient’s lab results, current medication lists, scheduling of appointment functions, and even secure messaging and questions to the provider.

These Portals are evolving as the Electronic Healthcare Record has enjoyed greater acceptance and use by providers. You may have used a patient portal yourself, as you interact with healthcare providers. They have the potential to increase a patient’s involvement with their own care.

However, functioning and features of a patient portal have met with resistance from some medical care providers and/or lack of use by patients. Providing certain records and lab data as an online “open book” to patients can have risks and consequences. Responding to patient messages and questions is an additional task for providers, and not reimbursed.

First, please consider any interactions you may have had so far with a Patient Portal from your own provider. Visit sites describing patient portals, such as web pages available from HeatlhIT.gov, especially if you have not had personal access to a Patient Portal. You may want to web-search on terms such as “patient portal acceptance” and “pros or cons of patient portal”. Use your information literacy skills and evaluate the age of references too, as this technology is a recent one.

Write a one- to two-page essay responding to the following topics:

• Describe features of a patient portal including ability for patients to self-report and manage their healthcare conditions.
• Are there barriers to acceptance and enthusiasm for Patient Portal adoption among Providers (physicians, etc.)? Describe.
• Have there been challenges with getting substantial numbers of patients to register and use a Portal? Why or why not? Apply your other learning and principles from this Course. Consider possible barriers to access, too.
• Describe your satisfaction with, and challenges faced when using a patient Portal (such as MyChart), if one has been available to you. Provide at least a full paragraph. If you have not used one yet, would you use one if available?
• Be sure to note any websites visited or references used by using a Reference page.

Make sure you follow the instructions as directed and avoid mistakes. No plagiarism.