Abstracts Health Sciences

Electronic Patient Portals: Promotion of Access by Healthcare Workers Increases Patient Engagement

by Dena Todd

The use of technologies within healthcare settings has become an essential part of patient care. The Health Information for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2010 contained requirements for healthcare providers to ensure the Meaningful Use (MU) of electronic health records. More specifically, electronic patient portal (EPP) systems were a part of this legislation since healthcare organizations needed to demonstrate they were providing patients with access to their personal health information. A major concern was that healthcare organizations not offering EPP access were at risk of losing federal funding. This integrative literature review explores strategies which can be deployed in order to best promote EPP access for patients. The review clearly reveals the benefits of patient portals and how patients have improved access to their medical information including medications, laboratory results, diagnostics, and medical appointments. When healthcare workers promote EPP, they are upholding ethical principles, ensuring care coordination, reducing costs associated with hospital readmissions, and empowering patients to be involved in their care.