Make the Connection: The payoffs of boosting patient engagement on your practice portal by Sam Tindal

One of the wisest moves a practice can make is to designate an “engagement advocate.” In addition to other job functions, he or she will be responsible for educating patients about the practice portal, encouraging them to use it, and fielding any questions or support issues. Having patients consult with this advocate before they leave the practice can go a long way toward bolstering the adoption and continued use of the portal­—which could mean easier patient communication for your team.

Saving time and effort
Patients are more likely to log on to a patient portal if your practice specifically recommends and supports its use. Consider placing a registration kiosk in the office, where your designated advocate educates patients as they come or go. To simplify the registration process, the advocate can provide walkthroughs for patients, educating them on the types of reminders and other communication they’ll receive from your practice. Patients appreciate when you save them time or money, so educate them about how the portal helps them keep appointments and pay their bills on time.

Gathering patient feedback
Seeking and respecting patient feedback about your portal is paramount to retention and practice health. (For example, patients may believe that appointment reminders come too often or not often enough.) Ensure that your advocate handles support issues in a timely, efficient manner, including working with the application’s provider to resolve any issues that may disrupt patient/practice communication. This further encourages your patients’ use of the portal even after the initial visit and consultation.

Reminding patients of online resources
Personalizing your hold message is another great way to promote new and continued use of your patient portal, by reminding callers that the answers to many common questions can be found by logging on to the portal. (Some practice management companies even allow you to customize messages for certain patient calls.) As a bonus to you, the less time your staffers spend answering questions on the phone, the more they’re able to provide additional or improved care to patients currently in-house.