When patients are informed, it has the potential to improve the quality of care and health outcomes. Studies have found that when patients are engaged in healthcare decisions, it offers many benefits such as higher satisfaction, better understanding of conditions and treatment, more realistic expectations, improved adherence to plans, reduced anxiety, and often, better health outcomes. Medical transcription services enhance patient portals by ensuring accurate and complete medical records are readily available to patients online.
Significance of Patient Portals
Patient health record portals can help improve the quality of care for patients in many ways by allowing them to:
- Access and understand their healthcare information, including medical history and diagnosis
- Engage meaningfully with their healthcare team
- Have informed conversations with their healthcare provider
- Ask questions and play an active role in their care
- View appointments and better manage them
- Prepare for appointments
- Have their concerns addressed without having to wait till the next appointment
Some patient portals also allow patients to request prescription refills, check benefits and coverage, update contact information, make payments, download and complete forms, and read educational materials.
Increasing Use of Patient Portals: A Role for Medical Transcription
A patient portal is defined by HealthIT.gov as a secure online website that gives patients convenient, 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. The use of these portals is rising. According to a data brief from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, the number of individuals who were offered and accessed their online medical records or patient portals increased by 50% between 2020 and 2022. Here are some interesting stats from the survey:
- The percentage of individuals nationwide offered and accessing their online medical records or patient portals more than doubled between 2014 and 2022.
- In 2022, approximately 75% of individuals reported being offered online access to their medical records by their healthcare provider or insurer, a 24% increase since 2020.
- Around 60% of individuals nationwide reported being offered and accessing their online medical records or patient portals in 2022, reflecting a 50% increase since 2020.
- Over half of those offered online access to their medical records accessed them at least three times in 2022, with nearly one-third accessing them six or more times.
To work effectively, patient portals should deliver results in a meaningful, useful, and actionable way. That’s where a medical transcription company can play a crucial role. Professional medical transcriptionists accurately document physician dictations in electronic health records (EHRs), ensuring patients have access to precise and timely health information.
How Medical Transcription improves Patient Portal Integrity
Medical transcription services ensure accurate and comprehensive medical records are readily available to patients through their online portal, allowing them to view detailed information about their health history, diagnoses, treatment plans, and test results. This improves patient engagement and understanding of their care plan while enabling better communication with healthcare providers.
Key ways medical transcription services improve patient portals:
Accurate Data Entry
By converting dictated physician notes into written text, transcriptionists guarantee that patient records are precise and complete. They can ensure accurate health information such as recent doctor visits, discharge summaries, medications, immunizations, allergies, and lab results.
Seamless Access to Information
EHR-integrated transcription enables seamless access to health records through the portal, allowing patients to view their medical records anytime and from anywhere with an internet connection.
Improved Patient Engagement
When clear and detailed medical records are readily available on the patient portal, patients can review their information and ask questions, helping them to actively participate in their healthcare.
Enhanced Care Coordination
Different healthcare providers involved in the patient’s care can collaborate more effectively when accurate medical information is available on the patient portal. This supports coordinated care and improved treatment plans.
Compliance with Standards
Medical transcription companies adhere to healthcare regulations such as HIPAA, ensuring patient information on the portal is compliant with legal standards.
How Transcription works with Patient Portals
Physicians dictate patient information during appointments, which is then transcribed by medical transcriptionists into a standardized format. The transcribed medical records are seamlessly integrated into the patient’s EHR, making them accessible through the patient portal. A reliable medical transcription company will ensure that the transcripts are reviewed and edited to ensure accuracy before they are uploaded to the patient portal.
By helping healthcare providers deliver accurate, meaningful, useful information, transcription plays a vital role in enriching the patient portal experience, promoting better patient engagement and improved healthcare outcomes.
