Breaking Barriers Through the Patient Portal

At Norristown Regional Health Center (NRHC), we are always trying to figure out ways to reduce barriers and increase the use of available services.  Whether it’s appointment reminder calls, meeting with our social worker, or referring a patient to me to help coordinate his or her appointments, we always have the patient’s convenience in mind.  As Jazzmin Boyd mentioned in her blog, Delaware Valley Community Health (DVCH - the parent organization of NRHC) embodies the one-stop shop approach to primary care.  At NRHC, we have an on-site pharmacy to make it easier for patients to obtain medications.  We have an on-site behavioral health counselor who meets with patients on an appointment or emergency basis.  We also have an on-site social worker, nutritionist, insurance eligibility counselor, and referrals specialist.  All of these services are available in Spanish as well.  Given that the vast majority of our patients are Spanish-speaking and a large percentage are uninsured and/or undocumented, having these services available on site is essential to minimizing the barriers and obstacles that our patients face in the current healthcare system.

My role as a Care Navigator at Norristown Regional Health Center (NRHC) involves several main duties that all have to do with reducing healthcare barriers.  Every day, I make outreach calls to patients, schedule appointments, interpret Spanish, and enroll patients in the center’s Patient Portal.  Through the Patient Portal, patients can schedule appointments, send messages to providers, view lab results, request prescription refills, complete forms, and more, from any computer or mobile device.  I began helping with the Patient Portal in mid-November when I was told that DVCH was struggling to enroll patients.  I took on the Patient Portal as a personal initiative and it has been hugely successful in reducing barriers and increasing the use of services that NRHC offers.  I enroll patients as well as educate them on how to use it, answer questions about it, and address problems with it.  I take particular pride in the success of this initiative since I spearheaded it.  Throughout the year and a half or so that NRHC had been enrolling patients prior to November, they managed to enroll around 250 patients, which was much less than they were hoping for.  So in November, I was essentially told to try whatever I thought was necessary to enroll more patients.  I spent a few weeks trying some ideas that I had and eventually settled on a method that seemed to work best.  I also streamlined the process by putting together several documents that made the enrollment process much quicker and more convenient.  As a result, I’ve managed to enroll more than 850 patients in just 5 months - a nearly 1000% increase!

I’ve heard from many patients about how helpful the Patient Portal has been for them.  Instead of having to come to the center or call, both of which often involved a significant wait, patients can do things online at their convenience, 24 hours a day.  The providers, too, have let me know how much of a time-saver the Patient Portal has been since it allows for quick and direct communication with patients, which minimizes miscommunications, delays, and other issues that often result from “phone tag” between patients, staff, and providers.   Although I’m sure that not all of the patients I’ve enrolled actually use the Patient Portal, I’ve heard plenty of positive feedback from patients about how much easier it is to take care of things with their providers and with the center.  Patients are constantly telling me how convenient it is and how nice it is to not have to wait on the phone or trek out to the center anymore.  One of my favorite examples is a very sweet 83 year-old patient who tells me and her doctor how much she loves the Patient Portal every time she comes in for an appointment!

I know that my service has definitely increased use and reduced barriers to accessing NRHC’s services.  I’ve set my own goal of enrolling at least 1,000 patients by the time my term of service ends in July.  For many of our patients, it’s difficult and costly to come to the center or even call during our hours due to work constraints, financial issues, and many other factors.  It’s very helpful for the patients to be able to do things such as refill prescriptions, make appointments, and view lab results at their convenience instead of having to take time out of their day to call or stop by, and patients have confirmed that repeatedly.  On account of my success, DVCH has documented my process, set monthly enrollment goals for every department, and has even initiated a pizza party incentive for each department that meets its goal now that they know the goals are possible.  But even better than pizza is the feeling I get every time one of those 850 patients tells me how much easier I’ve made their healthcare through the Patient Portal.

This blog post was written by NHC Philadelphia member Josh Finkel.
Josh serves as a Care Navigator at Delaware Valley Community Health: Norristown Regional Health Center.