This document provides tips for engaging patients to use a patient portal. It defines a patient portal as a secure online website for two-way communication between doctors and patients. The portal offers value by helping patients manage their healthcare and access records 24/7. However, many patients do not use the portal due to unclear benefits, confusing interfaces, and unresponsive staff. The document recommends using multiple communication methods like email, brochures, and in-office discussions to educate patients on the portal's benefits. Both new and existing patients should be engaged through strategies like pre-appointment emails and automatic post-visit communications. Clear signage, responsive design, and incentivizing staff can further boost patient portal adoption rates.

1. How to Engage Patients to Use the
Patient Portal to Meet Meaningful Use

2. Brandi Musgrave
Business Development Director
FastTrack Marketing
Ophthalmology consulting and
marketing since 2001

3. Defining the
Patient
Portal
Patient
PortalValue
Added
Propositions
Why
Patients
Don’t Use
The Portal
Enlisting
Patient
Engagement
Engaging
New vs.
Existing
Patients

4. Defining the Patient Portal

5.  Online website for two-way communication
 Doctors to patients
 Patients to doctors
 Secure

6. Patient PortalValue Added
Propositions

7. It’s aValue Added Proposition
 Helps patients better manage
their relationship with your
practice
 Patient feels in control of their
health care
 Immediate, 24/7 access
 Frees up staff time

8. It’s a Must for Meaningful Use
 Stage 2 focuses on patient
engagement and education
 40% are unaware of patient
portals (TechnologyAdvice)

9. Online Patient PortalValue Propositions
 Online bill pay
 Access to medical records
 Appointment scheduling
 Doctor communication
 E-visits or E-consultations
 Bilingual capabilities

10. Won’t Patients
Be Leary of
Online Access?

11. WhyWon’t Patients UseThe Portal

12. If you build it, they will MAY NOT come
 Why?
 Practice doesn’t educate of the benefits
 Portal is cumbersome to use
 Lack of patient engagement within the portal
 Not mobile friendly
 Information isn’t “pushed” to patient to
encourage engagement

13.  More than 30% of patients listed
“unresponsive staff” and “confusing
interfaces” as reasons for not using
the portal.
 Less than 50% of patients received
post-appointment follow-up
communications from physicians.
 Among those that did, less than 10%
were contacted through patient
portals.
(TechnologyAdvice and Software Advice)

14.  How?
 When?
 Test different methods to find the best formula

15. Face-to-Face Communication
 Online registration
in-office using a tablet
 Use downtime during
appointments for
education
 Decide whether
education should
be before or after
the appointment

16. Enlisting Patient Engagement

17. Engaging the Whole Staff
 Appointment Scheduling
 Can be done through the portal
 Checking Out
 Alert to online bill pay through portal
 Technicians & Doctors
 Test results, prescription requests, etc

18. Email-Based Communication: Advantages
 Easy to set up and convenient for all
 Consistency of information
 Great for any volume practices

19. Email-Based Communications: Disadvantages
 Need to gather all patients
email addresses
 Not all communications
are delivered or opened

20. Email Strategies
 Clear and concise subject line

21. Make Sure It’s Set Up Properly
 Bad
 From: “Your Provider”
 Subject Line: “Your Provider – Patient Portal”
 Good
 From: “Dr. Smith’s Office”
 Subject Line: “Important News FromYour Doctor”

22. Email Strategies
 Identify your purpose to avoid
spam intentions
 Registration link
 Eye-catching graphics
 Professionally-written, concise
copy
 Responsive design
81% of emails are read on a mobile device
 Personalize

23. Sample email to
promote portal
Subject Line:
AccessYour Patient
Records Online

24.  Brochures
 Posters
 Looping educational video
 Flyers

26.  On-hold messages
 Bills
 Newsletters
 Social Media posts

27. Website Placement
 Make the portal link highly visible, easy to
access
 Position the online portal as a practice
differentiator
 Open the portal in a new tab to make it
easy to go back to your website
 Make sure it is designed responsive

28. Best Solution:
Use Multiple Points of Contact

29. Don’t ForgetYour Staff!
Educate staff on
benefits and
features
Create
registration goals
to incentivize
staff
Weekly reports
on sign-ups for
encouragement

30. Express the Benefits
 Explain how it benefits them
 Don’t talk about features

31. Engaging New vs Existing Patients

32. Sample Existing Patient Strategy
 Introduction Email
 Expect 10-15% sign-up
 Education in promotional emails and newsletters
 Automatic post-appointment emails
 In-office posters
 Staff training to position the portal as an upgrade and
value added proposition

33. Sample New Patient Strategy
 Position the online portal as the standard strategy
 Pre-appointment email encourages them to register and
fill any forms in advance
 Offer printed information during the appointment
 Follow-up email after the appointment

34. Reconnecting with Non-engaged Patients
 Bulk enrollment
 Continued prompting
from staff about benefits
 Patient incentive for
signing up
 5% off 1st Online Bill Pay
 Monthly drawing entry

35. 56% of people age 55-64 still want access to online health information
54% of adults age 65+ AND 77% of adults age 50-64 use the internet
(Nextech and Pew Research Center)

36. Don’t Make It Sound Like More Work
Make it a benefit, not a burden

37. Recap
 Educate through face to face, email, printed and video
communications
 Educate your staff to “sell” the portal
 Make the portal visible on your website
 Make sure the portal is easy-to-use and incorporates
responsive design
 Advertise the portal as a value added proposition to
differentiate your practice

38. ThankYou
Brandi Musgrave
brandi@fast-trackmarketing.com
303-731-2634
FastTrack Marketing
www.fast-trackmarketing.com