Remember the days when your doctor walked into the exam room with a large file filled with paperwork? Those days are long gone. Now your doctor comes in with a laptop. They’ve transitioned into digital healthcare by implementing the patient portal. What is it? How is it used? Chief medical officer Jon Belsher encourages patients to get to know the new tool.

1. YourPatientPortal
JonBelsher
WhatIsIt?HowIsItUsed?

2. Rememberthedayswhenyour
doctorwalkedintotheexamroom
withalargefilefilledwith
paperwork?Thosedaysarelong
gone.Nowyourdoctorcomesin
withalaptop.They’vetransitioned
intodigitalhealthcareby
implementingthepatientportal.

3. Whatisthepatientportal?
According to healthit.gov, a patient portal is a secure
online website that gives patients convenient 24-hour
access to personal health information from anywhere
with an internet connection. Doctors can upload
discharge summaries, prescribed medications,
immunizations, allergies and lab results to the patient
portal. With a secure username and password,
patients can view this information at any time and
from anywhere.

4. Patientscanalso:
Send messages to their health care provider
between visits
Request prescription refills
Schedule non-urgent appointments
Download, complete and sign forms
Check benefits and coverage
Update contact information
Make payments

5. Howdoesthepatient
portalwork?
Instead of the patient trying to call someone at the
doctor’s office (while possibly playing “phone tag”),
staff can quickly respond to emails and requests from
patients. Not only is this more efficient from a
business standpoint, but all inquiries are in writing so
messages will not be subject to misinterpretation or
miscommunication.

6. Howdoesthepatient
portalwork?
Although the portal can be accessed by the patient
and physician from anywhere at any time, that
doesn’t mean your doctor will respond to your
message during non-office hours. If you need non-
emergency medical care and your doctor’s office is
not open, you can go to a walk-in clinic such as a
Medspring Urgent Care. For true emergency
situations, make sure you go to the ER.

7. HowdoIgetstartedwith
thepatientportal?
If your doctor has handouts about how to access the
portal, make sure you read them while you’re waiting
for your appointment. While you’re there, you can
also ask the staff questions about how to create an
account as well as how to use the account. If you’re
hands-on, you can create a portal account at your
next visit.

8. HowdoIgetstartedwith
thepatientportal?
You can ask a staff member to help you setup your
account. You want to make sure you print out the
login information along with instructions on how to
use the portal. After your visit, you can log in on your
home computer to view the discharge summary.

9. Yourenhancedhealthcare
experience
with patient portal will improve your patient-provider
communication, provide additional supportive care
and will make you feel empowered that you have
more control over your healthcare.

10. Thankyou.
JonBelsher.com