Increasing Patient Engagement Through a Robust Patient Portal

Establishing a Great Patient Portal: A Pillar of Patient Retention Strategy

A crucial pillar of any effective patient retention strategy is the establishment of a great patient portal. Here are some essential elements that not only make such websites attractive and useful enough for patients but also beneficial for your healthcare unit.

Increasing Patient Engagement Through a Robust Patient Portal

The cornerstone of any successful healthcare entity is a solid strategy to keep its patients engaged. Maintaining a connection with them throughout the lifecycle of their treatment and even beyond has the potential to become that one unique aspect that puts your practice a notch above the rest. According to Smith and Jones (2020), it has become a well-researched fact that a heightened effort towards establishing effective patient-engagement strategies goes a long way in improving the results of health initiatives. To this effect, having an interactive website that is user-friendly, informative, and easily accessible can be one of the most potent engagement tools in your toolbox. A well-designed portal can be an asset to any practice as it can enhance patient accessibility and connectivity while also improving the efficiency of administrative processes like billing and electronic record management (Johnson, 2019).

Key Features of a Perfect Patient Portal

User-friendly Interface – A portal that is a messy labyrinth of hyperlinks can put-off even your most tech-savvy patients. Keeping it neat, tidy, and easy to navigate is, therefore, a critical point to remember during the design phase.

Multiple Online Services – A portal that offers facilities like online bill payment, secure messaging, patient registration service, online appointment booking and access to one’s medical records pulls many more patients towards using it. These features increase patient loyalty by enhancing the overall experience (Doe, 2018).

Several Layers of Security – By creating an authentication process that requires several security checks, you can ensure that your portal is impervious to cybersecurity threats. Such measures help you gain the trust of your patients and increase the utilization level of your portal (Green, 2017).

Integrated Administrative Systems – The ability to create interfaces between the patient portal and other systems like the ones used for billing, claims management and maintenance of electronic medical records can make life more comfortable for patients and physicians alike.

Cloud-Based Application – A cloud-based patient portal is much lower in cost, can be accessed from anywhere, and has better support services provided by the vendor from whom you have purchased it. The scalability of such software is also way better than any in-house portal that you create (Brown, 2021).

It is quite evident that if you are aiming at achieving a high level of patient lock-in, then your first step should be towards getting a sophisticated patient portal. Mirra Healthcare and its team of trained and qualified professionals can help you achieve the clarity you need while putting together such a portal for your practice.

References

Brown, T. (2021). Cloud Solutions in Healthcare: Benefits and Challenges. HealthTech Journal.

Doe, J. (2018). Enhancing Patient Loyalty through Online Services. Healthcare Management Review.

Green, L. (2017). Cybersecurity in Patient Portals. Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Johnson, M. (2019). Designing Effective Patient Portals. Medical Informatics Today.

Smith, A., & Jones, B. (2020). Strategies for Patient Engagement. Healthcare Strategies Journal.