Currently, a patient engagement platform for doctors is making even more headway in everyday life. But how can they help both parties?
They make things convenient
Patients tend to have a much easier time when using these patient portals. They can see test results as soon as they come in – many apps even show what a healthy range of a certain test is – and have a much better understanding of their health. They don’t have to wonder what is in that manila folder that the doctor or assistant is constantly carrying around.
They can also make appointments with the touch of a button on an app, rather than have to go through calling the doctor’s office. That is much easier for those who are hard of hearing since they can visually see when the appointment is.
They can also get reminders through their phone rather than the office having to call. There is usually an option to even email a doctor with a non-urgent (emphasis: NON-URGENT) question about something like an upcoming test or a particular prescription.
Best of all, one can use the app or website at whatever time of day or night it might be. Of course, certain inquiries might only get an answer during normal business hours, but it’s nice to know that they could log onto the app at 3 a.m. and make an appointment for the very first one that morning, if available.
That makes things much more convenient on the doctor’s side too. They can do their job with a lot less paperwork since a lot of the records are computerized.
There is not a rush to answer the emails and they don’t have to worry about constant phone calls, either. They will also have a record of correspondence to fall back on to get them up to speed if they are discussing things.
It can make collaboration easy
Let’s say that you are a patient who is having a certain procedure done. You might have a team of doctors who are all in the same practice or network.
That allows them to communicate with each other too. They can send each other test results so that they know what is happening to you after each visit.
This also means that all your records are kept in one place. No more having to have one doctor’s office fax over something to another’s. There was nothing more frustrating than going to the doctor and being told that nothing had come in yet. At worst, that lack of communication could necessitate you having to make another appointment.
That is now a thing of the past. Doctors can share these with each other so that they will always be on the same page when it comes to working together as a team. Your health will benefit from that.
Takeaway on patient platforms
These are just a couple of the reasons why a patient engagement platform for doctors is a great advance in medicine. As the years go by, things will continue to improve and medicine will be even less intimidating to patients.