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Using Portals to Meet the Patient Access Objectives
THE STAGE 1 MEANINGFUL use criteria do not require that eligible providers (EPs) and eligible hospitals (EHs) create patient portals, but portals may be the best option for meeting certain stage 1 patient access and electronic communicationrelated provisions. Portals may also be mandatory in the near future, says Warwick Charlton, chief medical officer and vice president of general management for Intuit Health. "Meaningful use stages 2 and 3 are coming soon, and they are going to have much more patient and family engagement provisions and criteria," he says. "These criteria will also have higher thresholds."
For now, however, portals can help providers with the following stage 1 meaningful use requirements:
Timely online access. EPs must be able to provide patients with timely online access to their health information (i.e., within four days of updating the information in a certified EHR). This access must include- at a minimum- lab results, a problem list, a medication list, and an allergy list. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT says the purpose of this objective is to ensure patients have the ability to access their health information "when they see fit to do so."
Electronic copies of health information. When patients request an electronic copy of their health information (including- at a minimum- diagnostic test results, a problem list, a medication list, a medication allergy list, a discharge summary, and procedures), EPs and EHs must be able to provide this information within three business days. Although ONC doesn't specify a method by which individuals must receive an electronic copy, it does list a patient portal as an "acceptable mechanism."
Clinical summaries. EPs must be able to give patients clinical summaries for office visits within three business days of those visits. This information must include - at a minimum - diagnostic test results, a problem list, a medication list, and a medication allergy list. The clinical summary may be provided electronically, although ONC doesn't require this in stage 1.
Electronic copy of discharge instructions. When patients request an electronic...