Patient portals and personal health records are the two most buzzed-about words in the medical industry at the moment. The two of them have great potential for increasing patient engagement, and it can be tough to find the difference between patient portals and personal health records. Let us first understand both of them separately.
Patient portal has proved to be a powerful tool for boosting patient empowerment and engagement.
A patient personal portal is a safe site or application that lets patients access round-the-clock their health details online. Every patient will need a separate password and username, and those can be utilized to check an extensive range of details such as lab results, discharge summaries, medicines, immunizations, etc.
Patient portals usually go one step ahead of personal health records to help better interaction between doctors and patients. A number of patient portals enable patients to make payments, see coverage & benefits, ask for prescription refills, exchange secure emails with hospitals, watch educational programs, and download & fill up the forms.
A personal health record is an online interface that is directly linked with an electronic health record. PHR lets patients see and communicate with their medical details. For instance, patients can view their lab results, immunization history, or due dates for preventive care screenings swiftly and securely online. Every time a PHR is associated with a medical record, it is viewed as secured by HIPPA.
The major difference between medical patient portal and personal health record
A personal health record is a computer record that is devised with and is regulated by medical doctors, pharmacies, hospitals, patients, and many other sources, but it is regulated by the patient.
Both Microsoft and Google are at present promoting Microsoft HealthVault and Google Health to people and medical centers. These services abode personal health records on safe networks.
Medical patient portalis regulated by the source system like EHR, EMR, or hospital. In contrast, PHR is more patient-centric, meaning it is regulated by patients or family members and might or might not be linked to hospital or medical staff.
Patient health records benefits
- Patients becoming more engaged in handling their individual healthcare is linked to better results.
- Passing control for particular tasks on patients can lower phone calls and other workloads in a medical facility.
Find out more info on why patient portals are important in healthcare.
