3 Ways Patient Portal Technology Can Benefit Your Practice

Patient portals are, without a doubt, the future of medical practices. With cell phones, computers, and an increasingly mobile patient population the demand for healthcare providers and services to be online  is growing.
Jumping in and investing in patient portal technology can be daunting at first but the rewards will pay off in the long run. Here are 5 ways that a patient portal can benefit your medical practice:
1. Lighten your office schedule – without sacrificing patients
One of the biggest benefits of a patient portal is the ability for patients to consult with their healthcare providers online without having to physically come into the office. This means that patients who have simple questions, need a prescription, or just are following up on lab results can schedule an online appointment during a time that it convenient for both you and the patient. This lightens the patient load at the office leaving you with more time to spend with critical patients, tend to your office tasks, and even create more space for new patients.
2. Streamline tasks that are time consuming and costly to your practice
Office overhead is a huge expense for a medical practice and making the best of your resources is essential in growing your profits. Patient portal features such as prescription requests, appointment requests, and medical record retrievals means that you have less nursing staff and other personnel  spending valuable time completing these simple tasks. Furthermore, patients can reach your staff though online messaging, meaning less time spent receiving calls, waiting on the line, and making call backs.
3. Add significant revenue to your business
If your average patient comes to see your twice a year then that is only two times per year that you receive ay profit benefit from that patient. Furthermore, that profit is controlled and reduced by third-party reimbursements. Charging a low monthly membership rate to your patients for use of the patient portal is a way for you to gain significant revenue from your patients all year long. You can also charge small fees for consultations on the portal which are not only more cost-effective for patients who avoid expensive co-pays, but they give you the added revenue directly into your pocket – without outside control from insurance companies.