Patients have lots of questions, and doctors can’t always answer them all. Some questions come up during appointments, while others pop into your head later. These can be worrying or stressful. But what if there was a way for patients to get answers and chat with providers in real-time, either by text or video?… Ever heard of a patient portal software before?

Well, in technical terms, they are internet websites or mobile apps paired with an EHR. But more on that later, For now, let us share some stats that highlight the importance of patient portal apps.

• Patient portal software increases patient engagement by 50%
• 71% of patients believe online access to health information improves care. 
• 90% of the providers agree that patient portal apps help in better care coordination.

Table of Contents

• What is a Patient Portal?
  • Patient Portal App Benefits for Users:
  • Patient Portal App Benefits for Provider:
• Patient Portal App Key Features
  • • Online Registration
  • • Detailed Patient Profile
  • • Appointment Reminders
  • • Secure messaging
  • • API Integration
  • • Real-time Notifications
  • • Filling Out Pre-visit Forms
  • • Discharge Summaries
  • • Integrated Payments
  • • Patient Feedback Forms
• Cost of the Patient Portals Development
• Key Technology Trends for Patient Portal Apps in 2024
• Choose VCDoctor for Telehealth-Enhanced Patient Portals
• VCDoctor Telemedicine Platform for Providers: FAQs

What is a Patient Portal?

Patient portal apps serve as a means for patients to access medical information, including laboratory results and updates to their profiles. These platforms offer insights into various data points such as laboratory reports, medical notes, clinical history summaries, discharge summaries, and prescriptions.

Additionally, some patient portal software enables patients to schedule appointments and manage bills seamlessly within the system. They serve as an incentive for clinicians to enhance customer experience, foster loyalty, control costs, and streamline workflows.

Patient Portal App Benefits for Users:

• Instant Access to Health Records
• Convenient Appointment Management
• Online Prescription Refills
• Access to Educational Resources

Patient Portal App Benefits for Provider:

• Improved Data Accuracy
• Reduced Administrative Burden
• Efficient Communication
• Enhanced Patient Engagement

Patient Portal App Key Features

Some Patient portal features are given below:

• Online Registration

Lengthy registration procedures burden patients and impede the front-end workflow of practices. Implementing electronic registration minimizes wait times and reduces the workload on front desk staff, fostering efficiency and smoother operations.

• Detailed Patient Profile

Here, patients can update their profiles, including general health and demographic information, with ease. They can also access and update their health records, which may include medication lists, reported allergies, immunization history, medical records, and health conditions. 

• Appointment Reminders

Appointment notifications or reminders play a crucial role in enhancing patient engagement. It also helps providers set up reliable appointment alerts through scheduled text messages, emails, or reminders. It saves time too- allowing staff and doctors to address issues promptly instead of spending excessive time on phone calls.

• Secure messaging

HIPAA compliance ensures patients can securely transmit messages from the portal to their healthcare providers remotely. It offers a straightforward option for sending messages related to appointments, medications, or emergency virtual consultations.  All communication via the patient portal software is secure and well-protected. 

• API Integration

While patient portal apps typically integrate seamlessly with core EHR systems, they can also connect with other third-party digital solutions and medical IoT products like pedometers, glucose meters, or sleep trackers through an open API, facilitating a broader range of data exchange and interoperability.

As patients link their portal accounts with e-health wearable devices, they seamlessly import and synchronize all their health data. This integration provides them with a comprehensive overview of their health and well-being over time, promoting proactive health management.

• Real-time Notifications

A robust patient portal empowers administrators to send real-time notifications and essential software updates to users, ensuring timely communication and effective management. Plus. providers can also use the feature to improve the overall care experience. 

• Filling Out Pre-visit Forms

Doctors typically spend 10-20 minutes gathering information about patients, vaccines, illnesses, and complaints during appointments. This valuable time, which could amount to 1-2 working hours per day, can be saved by having patients fill out pre-visit questionnaires and addressing their inquiries online beforehand.

• Discharge Summaries

A readily available summary helps patients understand their diagnosis, treatment plan, and follow-up instructions. Patients can also use the discharge summary from the patient portal app as a reference point when discussing their care with other healthcare providers.

• Integrated Payments

Patient portal apps significantly enhance the user experience by facilitating payments and financial management. This can include options such as:

• Insurance: Patients can log in to the portal to view and update insurance details.
• Billing Queries: Submit billing-related inquiries directly through the patient portal app.
• E-Payments: Multiple online payment modes for convenient transactions.
• Payment History: Archives of medical payment summaries and dates in one location.
• Saved Payment Methods: Store credit card or bank information for repeat payments.

• Patient Feedback Forms

Engaging with patients and gathering feedback on the functionality and resources of your clinic, including the patient portal, is crucial. To improve the portal’s efficiency, consider asking patients for input. You will gain valuable insights for enhancing patient satisfaction and engagement.

Cost of the Patient Portals Development

Now that we have answered in detail what is a patient portal app and its key features, let’s get to the cost of patient portal app development.

Cost calculations depend on how detailed the project specifications are. There are three main types: task scope, User Stories, and Software Requirement Specification (SRS).

• Task Scope: This is a basic list of what’s needed for the project. Using Task Scope for cost calculation gives you a starting price for a patent portal app.
• User Stories: These go into more detail about who will use the software, what it will do, and why. The patient portal software cost estimates vary between minimum and maximum rates.
• Software Requirement Specification (SRS): This is the most detailed document, covering all the project’s requirements. Cost calculations using SRS give you a fixed price.

In summary, the more detailed the specifications, the better the cost estimate will be. But just to give you some idea, here’s a general cost breakdown. Please note this is not an accurate estimate and final costs may vary depending on factors like the technology stack used, developer/designer rates, advanced features, cloud costs, and more.

Development Stages	Hours	Cost ($)
Discovery + UI/UX	300	$9,000
Development	650	$19,500
Testing and Launch	250	$7,500
Technical Documentation	45	$1,350
Total: 1245 hours (6-7 months) | $37,350

Key Technology Trends for Patient Portal Apps in 2024

When it comes to new technology and trends, 2024 could be a year of great leap forward for patient portal apps. Below we have listed three technology trends that will surely make their way into patient portals this year.

1. Artificial Intelligence or AI

Expect patient portals to get 10X smarter as AI in telemedicine gets mainstream. From patient-facing chatbots to smart tools for patient data analysis, AI will transform patient portals in ways unimaginable before. 

2. Internet of Things

IoT integration in patient portal apps offers remote health monitoring, personalized care plans, and proactive alerts. This enhances patient engagement and facilitates better communication with healthcare providers.

3. Blockchain

You may be familiar with Blockchain from cryptocurrencies, but we anticipate this distributed system of record-keeping to significantly enhance the security of patient portals. As patient data privacy and security continue to be global concerns, the integration of this technology into patient portal software is imminent.

Choose VCDoctor for Telehealth-Enhanced Patient Portals

Patient portals are a great way to help your patients keep a tab on their care journey. But VCDoctor takes it a step further.

With the VCDoctor telemedicine platform for patients, your patients can:

• Get information in one place: Lab results, medical notes, appointments, prescriptions – all accessible anytime, anywhere.
• Make quick appointments: Patients can schedule, cancel, or reschedule appointments with a few clicks.
• Pay bills online: Ditch the paper invoices and pay securely within the portal.
• Chat securely: Stay connected 24*7  and can ask questions easily.

Plus, VCDoctor integrates Telehealth! Offer virtual consultations for even greater convenience for your patients.

VCDoctor Telehealth solution for providers  – A simpler, smarter way to manage healthcare. Let’s chat and see how we can help improve your patient care and boost your revenue. 

VCDoctor Telemedicine Platform for Providers: FAQs

Q: Is VCDoctor HIPAA compliant?

A: Yes, our telemedicine platform for clinics, hospitals, and doctors is fully HIPAA compliant. Rest assured that your and the patient’s data is well protected. 

Q: Is VCDoctor compatible with my EHR system?

A: The VCDoctor telemedicine platform is compatible and integrates hassle-free with all standard EHR systems. We use the latest interoperability standards. 

Q: Do I need any additional hardware or software licensing to use VCDoctor?

A: VCDoctor runs smoothly on any web browser, saving you from buying extra hardware. With no extra licensing fees, simply pick a subscription model to begin using our platform hassle-free.

Q: Can I get a demo before I buy VCDoctor?

A: Yes, we have a free demo in place. Simply fill out our contact form and our team will get back to you.