Solving Patient Portal Work Flow Problems

When asked, "What is the biggest challenge in utilizing your patient portal?" a small, but significant percentage of our survey respondents (17 percent) said "work flow related to maintaining communication."

Medical practice consultant Rosemarie Nelson says practices struggling in this regard should focus on managing their portal communication work flow, such as responding to messages from patients, the same way they manage telephone communication work flow. Make sure a staff member is checking the portal regularly throughout the day, or ask the nurses for each provider to do so, says Nelson.

An added bonus that comes with a better handle on portal communication work flow? Patient portal engagement is likely to increase. "The key is to train the patient to learn that if they use the portal they are going to get a response faster than if they call on the phone," says Nelson. "That's going to encourage them to use the portal more."