Don't Neglect Mammograms out of Fear

3 Benefits Of Using Your Doctor's Patient Portal

A patient portal is a great way to stay informed about your past and current medical treatments, scheduled surgeries, referrals, and prescriptions. The portal also makes it easy to reschedule your appointments or change personal information ahead of time, which benefits you when you need to move or travel. Patient portals are private and secure, which means that you can take your time to read about your health without the prying eyes of others. Here are three benefits you can receive when you use your doctor's patient portal.  

Learn More About Your Health Problems

If your doctor recently diagnosed you with a new medical problem, and you don't understand what it means, check your patient portal for answers. In most cases, the portal will contain detailed definitions of common and uncommon medical conditions, including how they affect your body and why.

The patient portal is also a good resource for looking up possible treatments for your new condition, including treatments used for research purposes and patient trials. If you find a treatment that you feel is necessary for your medical condition, you can discuss it with your doctor on your next visit. Your provider can go into details about the possible treatments available to you and discuss whether or not they can work for you.

Request Medical Records for Your Referrals

Sometimes, you need to visit other doctors for additional treatment but need a medical referral from your primary physician before you do so. Instead of making a special trip to your doctor's office, log into your patient portal and request your referrals online. 

The portal may also allow you to electronically sign patient release forms to give your doctor permission to fax the referrals directly to other physicians. Your health insurance provider may request signed release forms as well before it pays for the additional medical visits.

Add or Remove Personal Information

The patient portal makes it easy to change your address, contact phone numbers or other information when you move or change employment. You can also add critical information, such as the names of people who can make medical decisions for you, to your patient file. By making changes through your patient portal, you prevent communication problems in the future.

A patient portal gives you a chance to communicate with your doctor any time of the day. It eliminates the need to call or visit the office for answers you may find easier in your patient portal account. If you want to learn more about your doctor's patient portal, contact the office today.


Share