Bridging the Gap between MUS2 and Patient Engagement Through Appointment Reminders

By MOLLY MALOOF, MD Medical technology has undergone dramatic changes in the last 10 years. Right now, I make and cancel appointments, get prescriptions filled, look at test results, pay bills and email my doctor—all from my computer. I track multiple health markers on my cellphone, and am proactive about my preventive screenings. I am the definition of an engaged patient. But, I know how the system works from the inside out. The question for most doctors is how to teach patients to be more engaged with the convoluted, fragmented, and confusing healthcare system. They are asking this because they are struggling to meet Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements. Most docs complain that the 5% patient portal requirement is unfair because it is out of their control. Maybe it is, or maybe there are smarter ways to work the system in their favor that they just don’t know about. If you have an appointment reminder system that integrates with your EHR you can set up a good reminder system so that you will see your patients at least once a year for a checkup. This year I started making all appointments digitally through a system that automatically sends out reminders to my patients via text and email. My patients loved it, and I got a lot of positive reviews in the process. Then I had an idea to add a link advertising my patient portal at the end of my text and email appointment reminders. My rates of portal use skyrocketed. In my new patient welcome package, I make it clear to new...
Source: The Health Care Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Small Practice THCB Source Type: blogs