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Patient portals - an online tool for your health

Personal health record (PHR)

A patient portal is a website for your personal health care. This online tool helps you to keep track of your health care provider visits, test results, billing, prescriptions, and so on. You can also message your provider questions through the portal.

Many providers now offer patient portals. For access, you will need to set up an account. The service is usually free. A password is used so that all of your information is private and secure.

What is in a Patient Portal?

With a patient portal, you can:

• Make appointments (non-urgent)
• Request referrals
• Refill prescriptions
• Check benefits
• Update insurance or contact information
• Make payments to your provider's office
• Complete forms
• Ask questions through secure messaging

You also may be able to view:

• Test results
• Visit summaries
• Your medical history including allergies, immunizations, and medicines
• Patient-education articles

Some portals even offer e-visits. It is like a house call. For minor issues, such as a small wound or rash, you can get diagnosis and treatment options online. This saves you a trip to the provider's office.

How do I use a Patient Portal?

If your provider offers a patient portal, you will need a computer and internet connection to use it. Follow the instructions to register for an account. Once you are in your patient portal, you can click the links to perform basic tasks. You can also communicate with your provider's office in the message center.

If you have a child under age 18 years, you may be given access to your child's patient portal, too.

Providers can also get in touch with you through the portal. You may receive reminders and alerts. You will receive an email asking you to log in to your patient portal for a message.

The Benefits of a Patient Portal

With a patient portal:

• You can access your secure personal health information and be in touch with your provider's office 24 hours a day. You do not need to wait for office hours or returned phone calls to have basic issues resolved.
• You can access all of your personal health information from all of your providers in one place. If you have a team of providers, or see specialists regularly, they can all post results and reminders in a portal. Providers can see what other treatments and advice you are getting. This can lead to better care and better management of your medicines.
• E-mail reminders and alerts help you to remember things like annual checkups and flu shots.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Patient portals are not for urgent issues. If your need is time-sensitive, you should still call your provider's office.

References

Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. The health record. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. Seidel's Guide to Physical Examination. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 5.

HealthIT.gov website. What is a patient portal? www.healthit.gov/faq/what-patient-portal. Updated September 29, 2017. Accessed August 11, 2022.

Han HR, Gleason KT, Sun CA, et al. Using patient portals to improve patient outcomes: systematic review. JMIR Hum Factors. 2019;6(4):e15038. PMID: 31855187pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31855187/.

Irizarry T, DeVito Dabbs A, Curran CR. Patient portals and patient engagement: a state of the science review. J Med Internet Res. 2015;17(6):e148. PMID: 26104044 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26104044/.

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Review Date: 8/11/2022  

Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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