How using the patient portal can change your experience with mental health care.
Date: May 8, 2023 Author: Celeste Turner, LCSW
A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient, 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. It can be accessed via computer, smartphone or tablet.
Patient portals can save patient’s time, help communicate with a provider, and support care between visits. Patients are able to utilize the portal to accomplish tasks that would normally require a phone call, or even multiple phone calls.
The benefits of offering real-time access to information that was once exclusively held within the clinic's office on paper charts. Accessing your patient portal is to patient-provider messaging, appointment status, online bill pay, see lab & test results, request medication refills for prescriptions that don’t require an in office visit and more.
Medication Refills - Patient portals allow patients to easily request a refill any time of the day or night, and you or your staff can approve it electronically, then send the information straight to the pharmacy without any phone calls. This function is used for non controlled substances.
Patient-Provider Messaging - Secure messaging between patients and providers. Patient portals allow those individuals to message providers and clinical staff directly with questions (both medical and non-medical). Staff can triage the situation to determine if the patient needs some form of outreach
Online Bill Pay - Patients who attend telemedicine appointments, or who have outstanding bills from previous visits can use the portal to pay balances. Information from the visit is automatically sent to billing, and once the payer portion is complete patients get a notification of outstanding amounts due. Plus it’s convenient for patients who can pay anytime and not just during business hours.
Share Information - Portals also allow your clinic to share important information about clinic hours, changes to your schedule, heightened safety and cleaning measures, and more.
Filling out forms before a visit (intake forms) - Complete new patient paperwork and consent forms prior to the day of your appointment to reduce in office wait time. Having new patient paperwork allows clinic staff to verify patient identity, provide patient informed care, document emergency contacts, and verify insurance and/or copays.
Educational materials - Review recommended educational materials tailored to your treatment. There is also strong evidence to suggest that mental health and patient education provide substantial benefits. Effective patient education also ensures that patients have sufficient information and understanding to make informed decisions regarding their care.
View Records - Patients can view Lab & Test Results, Assessment Reports, Treatment plans, notices and more in real time.
