Here's how you can improve physician communication using technology.

I agree with the statement concept , however I found out that in many cases the technical integration and clinical workflow are not streamlined From a technical standpoint the integration and flow of clean data accomplished From a clinical workflow standpoint, the data and integration process created a mess Believe or not frontline clinical staff and integration team don’t speak the same language In my view to be able to achieve all these goals the integration process , data flow and requirements should be handled by the clinical informatics team

Although most practices within large networks have already shifted to secure messaging, I believe many independent practices could still benefit from implementing this communication method. Check to see which functions & tools already exist within your EHR or PM system. From an office productivity perspective, time saved & fewer lost messages are huge improvements for staff morale & patient satisfaction. Doctors & staff can view & route their messages first thing each day & then follow up in between appointments. You can flag messages that require the doctor's immediate attention. While it may take a little time to adjust, remember that secure messaging is often more convenient for your patients, your staff & your providers!

Majority of the EHR are supported with a message center that allows safe and secure communication within the EHR itself without any external security , emails or additional systems Unfortunately, during EHR implementation these message centers are overlooked It might be because the implementation team doesn’t fully understand the importance of the message centers Or it could be because the message center are not properly designed according to the user workflow , consequently the organization didn’t prepare official clinical data communication process. May be it is be a mix of both . To sum it , majority of organizations show a lack of message center optimization and tend to use external communication channels

Personally, I don’t support this idea at all We should not confuse the patient portals being a patient autonomy and engagement tool , using it to message physicians This kind of daily consistent & interruption of physicians work can be serious and potentially risky Yet if an organization decides to utilize this approach, it should be ready to hire a care coordinator position who has the expertise to handle majority of patient queries Additionally, this should be in countries where non physician practitioners have a prescription refill scope of service

Like many aspects of healthcare system automation, it's critical for providers and leadership to selectively automate certain processes and then implement check points. Ideally, patient portals can benefit both patients and providers. Patients can use portals for routine tasks and engage more IF they choose. Hours of staff time can be saved each week when patients can access their own records, schedule their own appointments, request refills, etc. Staff can then utilize that time to talk directly with patients, clarify results/referrals or even call insurance carriers when they need more assistance. Human oversight and controls can be integrated at all levels so patient portals can prove beneficial and secure for all users.

I would highly recommend to speak to your physicians about their own pain points and their daily challenges Although this article was helpful, but it focused only on the technology part , ignoring the main 2 aspects in healthcare environments ( PROCESS AND PEOPLE )