April 17, 2013

Patient Portals, Meaningful Use and Patient-Generated Data

Patient Portals

• Online applications that allow patients to interact with their healthcare providers through– exposing individual patient health information in a secure manner

online – allowing patients to interact in some way with providers (many

portals)• schedule appointments• request refills on medications • look at lab and other test results • communicate with providers• fill out patient forms• pay medical bills

• Key tool to help providers meet meaningful use requirements

Patient Portals

• Available online 24/7• Various formats– Stand-alone websites that sell services to

providers– Integrated into the existing website of a provider– Modules added to (or components of) the

provider’s existing EHR

Meaningful Use (MU) Stage 2 Related to Patient Portal

MU Stage 2 Related to Patient Portal

• Eligible professionals (EPs) must provide >50% of patients notification of online timely access to their medical records

• > 5% of EPs patients must – send practice a secure electronic message through

the portal – view, download or transmit their health

information

MU Stage 3 (proposed) Related to Patient Portal

• Eligible professionals (EPs) must provide 10% of patients the option to submit patient-generated data (EPs would choose what data to request)

• EPs must provide patients with the ability to request amendments to their record

Patient-Generated Data

• Could be entered into portal via forms (online, mobile, IVR)

• Can link to personal technology: apps, sensors, iPads

Patient-Generated Data: Example

• Breathe-Easy (RTI International and Virginia Commonwealth University)

• Asthma self-management • Smartphone application captured

– use of controller and rescue medications – symptom levels– quality of life– smoking

• Clinicians utilized online dashboard to – view the patients’ data– evaluate their health statuses– communicate changes in treatment or monitoring

Patient-Generated Data: Example

• iN Touch (San Francisco State University) • Obesity management among young low-income

adults• Used Mobile iPod Touch app and other technologies

popular among young people to – monitor physical activity, food intake, socialization and

mood – share the data with their health coaches and clinical care

teams – to help set health goals and track their progress

Patient-Generated Data

• Mobile phones: – 11% of all mobile phone users and 19% of smartphone

users have at least one health app (2012)• 38% tracked exercise, fitness or heart rate• 31% tracked diet or food • 12% tracked weight

• Wireless sensors: – blood sugar levels– number of steps taken a day– sleep cycles

Questions about Portals and Patient-Generated Data

• Where is your organization in the planning process?

• What information would be most valuable to receive electronically from patients? Why?

• What information do your patients want?• Can SAFTINet help with

collection/management of patient-generated data? How?