Online Access: Communication Matters! Paul Tang, MD Chief Medical Information Officer Palo Alto Medical Foundation Sutter Health
Outline Patients’ information needsPatients’ information needs PAMFOnlinePAMFOnline Benefits and experiencesBenefits and experiences
Desired Online Services Online Users Harris Interactive, 2002
Online Patients Want Their Information Online Online survey of 1000 healthcare consumersOnline survey of 1000 healthcare consumers Want online option to traditional access:Want online option to traditional access: – 84% - electronic alerts (e.g., flu vaccine, HM) – 83% - lab test results – 80% - personalized information after an office visit – 69% - online charts to monitor chronic diseases – 43% - willing to select physician based on availability of Internet services Harris Interactive, 2000
Overview of PAMFOnline Creating a Online Healing Relationship
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Early Experience with PAMFOnline
PAMFOnline Enrollment
PAMFOnline Patients Age Distribution, General Release
PAMFOnline Tiered Service Model Basic servicesBasic services –Access to selected information from EMR –Custom-tailored health information –Appointment requests –Prescription renewals –Administrative communication Messaging services (60/yr)Messaging services ( $ 60/yr) –Clinical communication with physicians –Medical advice request
Quality and Efficiency Rx Renewal
Send request to MD via ID Mail Prescription Renewal Turn of the Century (circa 2000) Pharmacy faxes request to PAMF PAMF pharmacy enters request into pharm computer Prints request Return to MA Patient picks up Rx To MA inbox MA orders chart FAX or call Rx back to pharmacy Pharmacy calls pt MD approves/ denies req
MD/RN approves/ denies req Medication Renewal Through PAMFOnline
Patient-Specific Information Resources
Customizing Educational Material to the Patient PAMFOnline provides patients with access to their record including:PAMFOnline provides patients with access to their record including: –Diagnoses –Medications –Lab test results –Patient instructions Unfamiliar words or phrases can generate questions or concernsUnfamiliar words or phrases can generate questions or concerns
Patient and Physician Satisfaction
* Subscribers only PAMFOnline Patient Survey Valued Services
Physician PAMFOnline Survey “Are you satisfied with PAMFOnline?” Physicians with 100+ PAMFOnline patients
Critical Success Factor Integration with EMR Information from EMR availableInformation from EMR available Common workflow with messagesCommon workflow with messages –Messages automatically included in EMR –Lab release –Rx renewal EMR-level securityEMR-level security
Leadership Challenges EMR infrastructureEMR infrastructure –Leadership (vision and guts) –Capital –Expertise NHII (e.g., standards, laws, policies, identifiers)NHII (e.g., standards, laws, policies, identifiers) ReimbursementReimbursement –Conditions Established patientEstablished patient DocumentationDocumentation E&M guidelinesE&M guidelines
Summary Patient-centered, safe, continuous care is an expectation of 21 st century health carePatient-centered, safe, continuous care is an expectation of 21 st century health care Secure, online communication with patientsSecure, online communication with patients –Improves care –Convenient for patients –Streamlines workflow, increases efficiency –Increases patient satisfaction –Generates patient loyalty