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A Web-based Patient
Portal for Patient-clinic Communication: a Randomized Controlled
Trial
Chen-Tan
Lin MD (presenter), Stephen Ross MD, Loretta Wittevrongel, all
with University of Colorado Health Science Center
Findings
Summary
Purpose: Internet-based
patient portals may improve communication between patients and
their physicians. We assessed the impact of such a portal on patient
satisfaction, and message content and volume. Methods: Randomized
controlled trial with 606 patients from an academic internal medicine
practice. The intervention group used a patient portal to send
secure messages directly to physicians and to submit requests
for appointments, prescription refills and referrals. The control
group received usual care. We assessed patient satisfaction and
compared the content of telephone and portal communications. Results:
Portal group patients reported improved communication with the
clinic (portal: 44% “better” or “a lot better,”
control: 12%, p<0.0001) and reported higher satisfaction with
overall care (portal: 59% “very good” or “excellent,”
control: 48%, p=0.049). Portal group patients also reported higher
satisfaction with each of the portal’s services. Physicians
received 1 portal message per day for every 250 portal patients.
Patients were more likely to send informational and psychosocial
messages by portal than by phone. Conclusion: A patient portal
increased patient satisfaction with communication and care. Incoming
message volume was not excessive. A patient portal changes the
content of what patients tell their doctors and may enhance the
patient-physician relationship.
Learning Objective 1
Be able to describe the functions of a patient portal
and the anticipated benefits to implementing such a portal in
an outpatient setting.
Learning
Objective 2
Be able to delineate the
typical physician concerns about online patient-physician communication
and cite research data to refute these concerns.
Learning
Objective 3
Be able to detail the patient
satisfaction improvement and the message content differences between
online and telephone communication.
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