Top 5 Uses for Your Orthopaedic Practice Web Portal

For your orthopaedic practice, your web portal can open up a fantastic communication tool for all parties. Physicians can communicate with patients and prospective patients in a time effective manner. They can even choose to communicate directly with specific patients or to the audience at large. Patients can have access to practice information on their schedule, which is increasingly important. Not only that, they can check their balance and make payments at their own convenience.

Did you know that a whopping 75 percent of people pay their bills online? With so much of the payment responsibility shifting from insurance providers to patients, your orthopaedic practice needs to develop tools that make it easy and convenient for patients to take responsibility for their bills. With a mobile optimized website, patients can have access to your website whenever they need it, using the device they’re most comfortable using. According to Get Referral MD, 90 percent of healthcare organizations are using mobile technology to engage patients. It’s a trend your practice can’t afford to miss.

If you’re still not certain how to use your web portal to best engage patients, here are some things to consider while building content and encouraging use:

Top 5 Uses for Your Patient Portal

1. Payment Options. One of the biggest draws to the website portal for your orthopaedic practice is the ability to streamline your revenue cycle management. Not only can you offer an easy and secure way for patients to pay their balance at any time, but the information is easily converted for your accounts receivable and payable personnel. This added measure diminishes pay delays and improves clarity for your own practice financial analytics.
2. Practice Updates. Your web portal offers an easy and effective way to make any practice updates public to your patients. Patients can be notified via email or newsletter that new content is available. Visitors can also easily view the latest information to make scheduling decisions without needing to contact staff.
3. Patient Records / Communications. Your web portal can offer a secure login for patients so that they can have access to patient records and physicians and staff can add notes to files or add new information directly for that patient. So patients can be updated on results and reminded about schedules of treatment through their portal. This keeps everyone informed and gives patients an easy, convenient way to access all of their information in one place.
4. Scheduling / Pre-Appointment Information. Web portals can offer patients the option of scheduling their own appointments and even downloading any forms or filling out web forms with information that’s essential prior to the visit. This streamlines the work at the front desk, making check-in processes far easier and less time-consuming. It also alleviates much of the phone congestion for your front office staff.
5. Resources for Patients. Your practice can, and should, include resources for patients that are available to the public. This might include a blog with posts that discuss different aspects of your practice or overall health issues.

Your orthopaedic practice can benefit from a well-run web portal in a number of ways that improve patient and staff satisfaction. Another benefit for the practice that hasn’t been mentioned in this list but should be noted – marketing. Today, marketing is more important than ever for your orthopaedic practice. A regularly updated web portal, with content that’s easily searchable, means that new patients in your area can more easily find and communicate with your practice.