Effective Role Of The Patient Portal In Solving Staff Shortage

So first, let us ask you a question. what was the biggest challenge that the healthcare industry faced during the time of the pandemic other than the shortage of amenities? Yes, you guessed it right – “staff shortage” in both clinical and non-clinical departments.

We see hospitals and clinics go out of beds and medicines. But the shortage of staff made the biggest impact as patients waited for long hours just to be checked by a doctor or a nurse.

That was a very bad condition. But fortunately, some online software platforms emerged from the dust to help hospitals and clinics tackle this beleaguered situation.

Patient portal, one of the platforms assisted and helped the healthcare organizations to deal with staff shortages, as they cut down the major part of patient dealing work done by personnel.

What Is Patient Portal Software?

Patient portal software allows the users to get access to their medical-related information, provided by their physicians and hospitals/clinics. 

This software is mainly dealt with, by the patients or the users, to get hold of their medical records, manage appointments with their physicians, review discharge summaries, lab results, medical prescriptions, allergies, lab results, etc., using an internet connection and a medium.

The Reason For Staff Shortages In Healthcare

Staff shortages happen not only due to the lack of graduates and professionals. It is also caused by the resignation of staff members due to stress, overwork, and burnout at the workplace.

According to a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, “one in five physicians intend to leave their practice in the next two years because of employee burnout, increased workload, fear of infection, and stress associated with COVID-19”- December 2021. 

The findings indicate increased pressure on an already strained healthcare workforce.

Family responsibilities, time/target pressures, crowded and unpleasant environment, low control, managing platforms like EHR, work overload, stress by losing control, and dysfunctional workplace dynamics contribute to the burnout and stress of the staff.

Many research found that the other reason behind staff resignations and reduction of working hours is fear of exposure to viruses, anxiety, and depression related to COVID-19.

Alleviating Staffing Shortages With Patient Portals

Healthcare organizations are pushed to find ways to deal with the factors leading to staff shortages and to handle when there is a limited number available to do work. According to Rakhee Langer, vice president of healow, “the patient engagement app from eClinicalWorks, the patient portal stands poised to fill in this gap”.

Patient portals can turn out to be the savior of staff shortages in healthcare organizations. It can be an unexpected tool to alleviate the pressure. In this world full of advanced possibilities, every single thing is being improved daily.

• At such a pace, the traditional uses of the patient portal have also been improving. Now it is not only bound by access to patient data, but most patient portals have widened their proficiency to support patient engagement as a whole.
• Many patient-facing or directly relating functions can be done using patient portals. Especially those works that happen during patient check-in and registration. They can be accumulated in a single place and processed directly into the electronic health record (EHR).
• The patient portal technology first started as an integral part of EHR to facilitate access to patient data. But as time passed, people started realizing the advanced usage of patient portals.

Patient check-ins are done digitally now by many organizations. Online appointment scheduling and digital check-ins are now popular as it is easier than the traditional in-person check-ins at hospitals/clinics.

RELATED: DIGITAL CHECK-IN SYSTEMS: TOP 5 BENEFITS FOR PRACTICES IN 2022

Patient portals facilitate digital check-ins to help clinical staff, especially the front desk to save time and manage regular functions by not worrying about staff shortages and also save the patients from long-hour waits for hospital visits.

Digital check-in isn’t just the function done using patient portals. There are other functions like secure direct messaging by the patient with their physicians/clinicians, prescription re-fillings, online form fill-ups, access to the medical records, etc.

Though some patients (older generation) do find it difficult to cope with the changing trends in appointment scheduling and follow-ups, many are already welcoming the change as they find it easier and time-saving than the traditional ways.

• Apart from these benefits, healthcare organizations can maintain and increase their revenue while using patient portals regularly. Patient portals when integrated with EHR can boost revenue cycle management (RCM).

• The payments made will be directly associated with the correct visit if the patient portal is integrated with the EHR system. This results in better revenue collection for providers, complete transparency of billing to the patients, and increases the overall operational efficiency.
• Thus patient portals ease the stress and tension faced by the front office staff dealing with payments.

Let’s conclude

Patient portals open the gateway for patients to easily deal with appointment booking and other needs and for providers to deal with the front desk and patient-related operations with ease. This platform solves the problems faced due to staff shortages in healthcare organizations.

Welcome to Vozo. This is your exact destination to find the perfect patient portal and other healthcare software specially designed for your practice’s excellence. 

Our patient portal software helps you to empower your patients with advanced portal features including secure messaging, appointment schedules, lab reports, family access, record consultations, e-prescribing, and a healthcare blog to take charge of their care. 

Vozo’s patient portal can be easily integrated with your EHR system which improves your practice workflow and boosts your productivity. If you doubt your current EHR system, switch to Vozo’s smart EHR and integrate our patient portal for better patient care.

The Vozo cloud-based EHR software is built with easy-to-access advanced features to improve your practice’s clinical care. Our smart EHR tools such as a convenient patient portal, advanced e-prescribing, clinical decision support, RCM, and billing solution with anytime mobile accessibility make it easier to provide quality care and a better patient experience. 

Whether you are a small or large healthcare practice, our cost-effective patient portal integrated EHR software helps you to achieve greater success in the healthcare marketplace – not only today but also in the future. Wait for none. Visit us now.

“Let’s reduce the work pressure and make your practice stressless, together”