EHR Patient Engagement and Portal Flashcards

What is a proxy access feature in a patient portal?

Answer: Allowing a parent, caregiver, or authorized individual to access another person's health records through the portal

Proxy access allows authorized individuals such as parents, guardians, or caregivers to access and manage health information for another person through the patient portal.

What Meaningful Use objective encouraged providers to offer patients the ability to view, download, and transmit their health data?

Answer: View, Download, and Transmit (VDT) objective

The View, Download, and Transmit (VDT) Meaningful Use objective required providers to offer patients online access to view, download, and transmit their health records.

What is a patient activation measure (PAM) and why is it relevant to EHR patient engagement tools?

Answer: A validated scale measuring a patient's knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing their health

The Patient Activation Measure assesses how knowledgeable and confident patients are in managing their health, helping providers tailor EHR engagement tools to patient readiness.

What functionality in an EHR patient portal helps patients manage their preventive care by sending reminders for screenings or immunizations?

Answer: Automated preventive care reminder notifications

Patient portals can send automated reminders for due preventive care such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and vaccinations based on patient age, sex, and medical history.

What is telehealth integration with the EHR patient portal, and what does it enable?

Answer: Connecting video visit tools to the portal so patients can have virtual appointments linked to their EHR records

Telehealth integration embeds virtual visit scheduling and video conferencing into the patient portal, with documentation flowing directly into the EHR encounter record.

What is the significance of digital health equity considerations in patient portal adoption?

Answer: Not all patients have equal access to technology, internet, or digital literacy, requiring supplemental access strategies

Health equity requires healthcare organizations to address barriers to portal adoption including lack of internet access, technology, or digital literacy, particularly among elderly, low-income, or minority populations.