{"id":16282,"date":"2014-05-18T16:08:31","date_gmt":"2014-05-18T20:08:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pmedicine.org\/epatients\/?p=16282"},"modified":"2014-07-26T16:21:59","modified_gmt":"2014-07-26T20:21:59","slug":"new-in-jopm-i-no-longer-have-to-go-to-see-the-doctor-how-the-patient-portal-is-changing-medical-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/participatorymedicine.org\/epatients\/2014\/05\/new-in-jopm-i-no-longer-have-to-go-to-see-the-doctor-how-the-patient-portal-is-changing-medical-practice.html","title":{"rendered":"New in JoPM: \u201cI No Longer Have to Go to See the Doctor:\u201d How the Patient Portal is Changing Medical Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

SPM co-founder Charlie Smith (Charles W. Smith, MD) was “Doc Tom” Ferguson’s own physician, and currently serves as co-Editor-in-Chief of our Journal of Participatory Medicine. He’s just published a brief but important editorial<\/a> in the journal. It\u00a0begins (emphasis added):<\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

“Not long ago, the only options my patients had for communicating with me were to come in to the office or relay a message through the office staff. The result is a cumbersome system<\/strong> that most patients avoid using<\/strong> unless there is a major problem or crisis to address.<\/p>\n

“But, since recently introducing the patient portal in our electronic medical record, my practice has changed substantially.<\/strong> My patients tell me it\u2019s for the better. Admittedly, there is the additional daily burden of responding to lab results, refill requests, and patient questions. But each of these is also a major improvement in efficiency and effectiveness of information flow, which is fundamental for any patient who aspires to be \u201c’participatory.’\u201d<\/p>\n

He goes on to describe the challenges as well as the benefits.<\/p>\n

If you (patient or provider) are starting to use a portal, I suggest you print this editorial and share\u00a0it with\u00a0others:<\/p>\n