Make sure you utilize your patient portals.
Advantages of Patient Portals
Patient portals cut down on the amount of phone calls and smooth the administrative process when it comes to making appointments. No one enjoys waiting on hold when calling to make an appointment. Patient portals streamline this process and make it easier on you.
The portal is safe, so you can be sure that your information is available only to you and your doctors. Additionally, having an online filing system is much more efficient than filing by hand, creating an easier search platform when looking for older records and documents. Your patient history, test results, and appointments are housed in one place, available to you with just a few clicks. When you’re in an appointment with your doctor, your provider does not have to worry about stacks of paperwork; it’s all online in your patient portal. Here are some of the services offered through your patient portal:
- Appointment scheduling
- Referral requests
- Prescription refills
- Review of benefits
- Test results
- Patient educational articles
- Medical history
Security
If you have different portals for different care providers, keep your login information organized to avoid confusion. When you create a password, make it secure. Don’t tell anyone your portal password, unless you want them to see your health record. Only log on to the portal on your own computer, cell phone, or tablet – or a computer you can trust. And make sure you are using a password protected internet connection or land-line connection. If you use a friend’s computer, public computer (like at the library), or a work computer, you are at a higher risk of others seeing your health record.
Take the time to read all the important security information about the portal.