decisionhealth Newsletters, Part B News - 2017 Issue 9 (September)
4 reasons to do messaging ‘e-visits’ even if they don’t cut back on office visits
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Article Overview
This article examines secure messaging or portal-based e-visits in primary care and summarizes research suggesting they may not reduce face-to-face visits as expected. It is relevant to physicians, practice administrators, behavioral health providers, and revenue cycle or quality reporting staff who use patient portals, online bill pay, or QPP/MIPS-related functionality. The discussion focuses on broad operational and reporting uses of patient communication tools and on the context of a published study in Management Science and related CMS/QPP references.
Why This Topic Matters
Patient portals and secure messaging affect workflow, patient engagement, payment collection, and quality program participation. The article helps readers understand why these tools may still matter even when their visit-reduction effect is limited.
Article Sections
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Study findings on secure messaging and office visits
Summarizes research on portal-based communications in primary care and the general effect on visit patterns and patient outcomes.
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4 reasons to use e-visits
Introduces the main practical reasons discussed for continuing secure messaging and portal-based communication.
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Peripheral services
Covers non-visit uses of secure messaging for follow-up, patient education, and communication with patients or peers.
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Emergent contact for behavioral health patients
Describes how secure messaging and related tools can support behavioral health communication and crisis-related touch points.
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Patient payments through online bill pay
Discusses patient portal functionality related to billing, account management, and online payment features.
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Quality Payment Program (QPP) reporting
Explains the article’s general discussion of portal and messaging features in the context of Medicare quality reporting programs.
What You Will Learn
- How secure messaging and portal-based e-visits are discussed in primary care research
- Why patient communication tools may remain useful even without reducing office visits
- How portals can support education, follow-up, and patient engagement
- How online payment features fit into patient portal workflows
- How secure messaging and portals relate to quality reporting programs
Who Should Read This
- Physicians
- Primary care practices
- Behavioral health providers
- Practice managers
- Revenue cycle staff
- Quality reporting staff
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