Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Designing a friendly patient portal for consumers

Dave Chase
Tech
January 5, 2012
Share
Tweet
Share

More and more providers see the value of providing patient portals. In an attempt to be responsive, EMR vendors are providing patient portals that have some limited capabilities (get lab results, email your doctor and possibly fill out a form requesting an appointment). However, just as the ability to design an airplane cockpit is radically different from a car dashboard, so to is designing an EMR geared towards medical professionals is very different than designing for consumers. A highly trained pilot can deal with the myriad complexities of a cockpit that would overwhelm a typical consumer.

[Note: As a KevinMD.com contributor, Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson (aka @SeattleMamaDoc), points out access to portals varies by specialty. She thinks it’s a huge missed opportunity that the many systems turn off access at age 13, they simply are turned off and lose access to the most impressionable and likely the most needed group — teens.]

Not only is the skillset to develop for a medical professional quite different than developing for a consumer, EMR vendors have their plates exceedingly full. There’s the ongoing rapid adoption of EMR systems with various requirements such as Meaningful Use and ICD-10. Dr. Swanson comments on the byproduct of that focus “We hear little about what matters most to the patient: improved access and efficient timely communication with clinicians.” The Meaningful Use incentives have created a very competitive market with literally hundreds of EMR vendors. Naturally, this consumes the lion’s share of their attention.

One of the most popular patient portal systems was developed in the late 90’s and released 12 years ago. This was a time when AOL was still dominant, Google had barely been founded, Mark Zuckerberg was entering high school and the iPhone was 7 years away from being released. Just as a car from 1999 didn’t envision many things we take for granted in cars, a system developed more than a dozen years ago doesn’t have what one would expect from a modern patient portal solution. The following are some examples of aspects of a modern system that are absent from most EMR systems today:

1. Recognition of the importance of a patient as a key member of the care team. Forward-looking providers recognize that patients spend well under 1% of their life at healthcare facilities. Yet, it is the other 99+% of their life that determines whether they return to or maintain their health. Simply having a one-way broadcast of information and a couple simple forms (e.g., request appointments) reflects the old view that patients are a recipient, rather than participant, in their healthcare experience. As Dr. Swanson states, “The individual cares more about their own health than any other member of a care team. They must be at the center.”

2. Easy-to-create forms and workflow. Without the need for any programming skills, any form (patient intake, surveys, symptom diaries, etc.) should be able to be created in a matter of minutes or hours for more complex forms/workflows. It’s no longer acceptable to have to wait months or longer while healthcare providers have to be increasingly nimble. The reality is no vendor can anticipate the nearly infinite variations required so there must be a tool that can be easily customized. Dr. Swanson comments about the importance of participatory medicine here, “actively entering data to both improve efficiency but open up a sense of transparency (like the “open notes” project) is a big benefit to my patients.”

3. Affordability. What good is a system if it’s out of reach for all but the largest, most well-resourced health systems. The health system is only as strong as its weakest link so all providers should be able to have a system that doesn’t bust their budget. Part of this is the cost of implementation. Therefore, the implementation must be straightforward or adoption will be greatly limited.

4. Providers can easily share information. While there’s much talk of Health Information Exchanges (HIE), the de facto HIE is the patient’s brain and what they can carry with them (e.g., paper copies of records). The patient’s data should be easily portable without expensive integration projects. Dr. Swanson: “It should live into perpetuity–or at least until the grave.” Holding patient data “hostage” at one provider ultimately hurts the entire system and results in unnecessary, or even harmful, procedures and tests.

5. Ready for the future. We all know we’re in one of the most dynamic periods in history. Without a system being automatically updated, it quickly gets behind. With budgets tighter than ever, there’s no longer the luxury of paying large sums to update servers and desktops all over the place. In the old days, there might be system upgrades every year or two which might make it feasible to update every PC that has the software. Modern systems update every month or even more frequently. It becomes untenable to have to update every node in the network versus it automatically happening. Dr. Swanson believes strongly in the need for a flexible system, “As we move into the future, we must amend as the patient sees fit, too. These “portals” must be customizable from multiple angles – providers, payers and patients.”

You could surely drive a 747 to the grocery store if you worked at it hard enough but you’d be missing out on the conveniences of GPS, anti-lock breaks, heads-up displays and integration with your consumer electronics that modern vehicles have. Of course, you’d spend far less and get there faster with a car. Smart healthcare providers are realizing that they can complement their systems designed for highly trained medical professionals with modern patient portal systems that are easy-to-implement and extensible.

Dave Chase is CEO of Avado.com, a Patient Relationship Management software company, previously founded Microsoft’s Health business and was a consultant with Accenture’s Healthcare Practice.  He can be found on Twitter @chasedave.

Submit a guest post and be heard on social media’s leading physician voice.

Prev

Doctors: Don't be ashamed about going bankrupt

January 5, 2012 Kevin 25
…
Next

Do positive emotions increase life satisfaction?

January 6, 2012 Kevin 8
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Health IT, Patients, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Doctors: Don't be ashamed about going bankrupt
Next Post >
Do positive emotions increase life satisfaction?

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Dave Chase

  • Health care stole the American dream. But it’s absolutely possible to take it back.

    Dave Chase
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Patient engagement is the blockbuster drug of the century

    Dave Chase
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    How secure messaging and email benefit patients and improve outcomes

    Dave Chase

More in Tech

  • Choosing the best EHR for your new behavioral health business

    Ram Krishnan, MBA
  • How AI, animals, and ecosystems reveal a new kind of intelligence

    Fateh Entabi, MD
  • Rethinking medical gatekeeping in the age of AI

    Justin Schrager, MD, MPH
  • The future of clinical care: AI’s role in easing physician workload

    Michael Wakeman
  • Why Grok 4 could be the next leap for HIPAA-compliant clinical AI

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • AI is already replacing doctors—just not how you think

    Bhargav Raman, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why taxing remittances harms families and global health care

      Dalia Saha, MD | Finance
    • How AI, animals, and ecosystems reveal a new kind of intelligence

      Fateh Entabi, MD | Tech
    • Why kratom addiction is the next public health crisis

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Meds
    • A physician employment agreement term that often tricks physicians

      Dennis Hursh, Esq | Finance
    • The hidden moral injury behind value-based health care

      Jonathan Bushman, DO | Physician
    • When medicine surrenders to ideology

      Anonymous | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • When medicine surrenders to ideology

      Anonymous | Physician
    • How just culture can reduce burnout and boost health care staff retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why embracing imperfection makes you truly unforgettable

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Physician
    • Affordable postpartum hemorrhage solutions every OB/GYN should know

      Frank I. Jackson, DO | Conditions
    • Why kratom addiction is the next public health crisis

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Meds
    • Why taxing remittances harms families and global health care

      Dalia Saha, MD | Finance

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 3 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why taxing remittances harms families and global health care

      Dalia Saha, MD | Finance
    • How AI, animals, and ecosystems reveal a new kind of intelligence

      Fateh Entabi, MD | Tech
    • Why kratom addiction is the next public health crisis

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Meds
    • A physician employment agreement term that often tricks physicians

      Dennis Hursh, Esq | Finance
    • The hidden moral injury behind value-based health care

      Jonathan Bushman, DO | Physician
    • When medicine surrenders to ideology

      Anonymous | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • When medicine surrenders to ideology

      Anonymous | Physician
    • How just culture can reduce burnout and boost health care staff retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why embracing imperfection makes you truly unforgettable

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Physician
    • Affordable postpartum hemorrhage solutions every OB/GYN should know

      Frank I. Jackson, DO | Conditions
    • Why kratom addiction is the next public health crisis

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Meds
    • Why taxing remittances harms families and global health care

      Dalia Saha, MD | Finance

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Designing a friendly patient portal for consumers
3 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...