Video: Navigating Your Patient Portal

Carmen: 

Hi! Carmen and Quincy here with another video in the Digitally Empowered series.  

Quincy: 

Thanks for joining us! We’ve touched on how helpful it can be to use your patient portal. But in this video, we’re going to explain in more detail the role this tool can play in managing your care. 

Carmen: 

Quincy, can we start by explaining what a portal IS? 

Quincy:  

I’d be happy to. A patient portal is a website that is used to safely store your personal health and medical information. You can use it to view things like your office visit summaries, test results, and billing details. It also allows several doctors within a medical group to review your information and to work together on your care. 

Another benefit is that you can get to your medical information at any time. You don’t need to wait to hear back or play phone tag when waiting for lab or test results. 

Carmen: 

And if your doctor’s office or medical center provides a patient portal, all you need is a computer—or smartphone—and an Internet connection.  Some medical centers even have an app for your phone.

Your provider will give you instructions for creating an account, and it is free. Because the portal contains sensitive medical records, you will likely be asked to set up the two-factor authentication that we discussed in the “Your Digital Safety” video. 

Quincy:  

Once you have created an account and are in the portal, you will have your own dashboard that shows the latest information in your file, including recent or upcoming appointments. There will also be a navigation menu that highlights all of the features of your portal. While not all portals look the same, they do have several functions that are fairly standard. 

Carmen:  

So, what can patients typically do in a portal? 

Quincy:  

Well, depending on the features available, you can:  

• See your medical records, including lab and test results. 
• View current medications and refill prescriptions. 
• Schedule and cancel appointments. 
• Complete check-in forms in advance of an office visit. 
• Make payments or set up a payment plan. 
• Update insurance information. 
• And view health education materials. 

Carmen: 

That’s right! In addition to storing your medical records, a patient portal is also an excellent communication tool. Many health portals have a messaging option where you can message back and forth with your medical team. This is especially useful if you have a non-urgent question for your healthcare team. 

Quincy:  

And you can adjust your communication preferences in your profile to enable notifications so that you receive email and text reminders. You can be reminded about appointments, yearly visits, or bills, for example.   

Carmen: 

There also might be an option for telehealth visits with your provider in your portal. This allows you to have an appointment in the comfort of your home using a webcam. 

If you want to learn more about online visits, re-watch our video “Your Step-By-Step Guide to Using Telemedicine.” 

Quincy: 

Great idea! Let’ review what we discussed: 

• Most medical centers and clinics provide access to a patient portal. If you don’t have one, ask your doctor’s office for help. 
• You can review your medical records and test results anytime, allowing you to track and monitor your health information virtually. 
• You can use the portal in a variety of ways, including viewing and updating your billing and insurance information. 
• Patient portals also contain a messaging section, allowing you to communicate with your medical team for non-urgent issues. 
• And, finally, since visits may sometimes be overwhelming, the portal contains office visit summaries. This will help you review what was discussed at your appointment. 

Carmen: 

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to download the guide that accompanies this video to learn more.    

Quincy: 

See you on the next video!