Explore what must be done to qualify for the patient portal requirements of MU1 and MU2, including helpful tips and tricks.

1. Patient Portals – Tips and Tricks
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Disclaimer: Nothing that we are sharing is intended as legally binding or prescriptive advice. This presentation is a
synthesis of publically available information and best practices.

2. Patient Portal Statistics
• According to an August 2014 survey by
Software Advice:
– 1/3 of patients have access to a portal
– 24% of patients want ability to schedule online
– 22% of patients want ability to view lab results
online
– 21% of patients want ability to pay bills online

3. Patient Portal Complaints
• According to an August 2014 survey by
Software Advice:
– 34% complained of slow responses
– 33% complained of portals being confusing to
navigate

4. Requirements – MU 1 2013 (Flex Rule)
Menu Measure 5
• Definition: At least 10 percent of all unique
are provided access to their record within four
business days.
• Exception: EP does not order labs, enter
problems, enter med allergies, or enter
medications.

5. Requirements – MU 1 2014
Core Measure 11
• Definition: More than 50 percent of all unique
patients are provided access to their record
within four business days online access to their
health information, with the ability to view,
download, and transmit to a third party.
• Exception: EP does not order labs, enter
problems, enter med allergies, or enter
medications.

6. Requirements – MU 2
Core Measure 7(1)
• Definition: More than 50 percent of all unique
patients are provided access to their record
within four business days online access to
their health information, with the ability to
view, download, and transmit to a third party.
• Exception: EP does not order labs, enter
problems, enter med allergies, or enter
medications.

7. Requirements – MU 2
Core Measure 7(2)
• Definition: More than 5 percent of all unique patients
seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period (or
their authorized representatives) view, download, or
transmit to a third party their health information.
• Exception: EP does not order labs, enter problems,
enter med allergies, or enter medications OR 50
percent or more of his or her patient encounters in a
county that does not have 50 percent or more of its
housing units with 3Mbps broadband availability.

8. Requirements – MU 2
Core Measure 17
• Definition: A secure message was sent using the
electronic messaging function of CEHRT by more
than 5 percent of unique patients (or their
authorized representatives) seen by the EP during
the EHR reporting period.
• Exception: An EP who has no office visits during
the reporting period OR 50 percent or more of his
or her patient encounters in a county that does
not have 50 percent or more of its housing units
with 3Mbps broadband availability.

9. Requirements – MU 3 (Proposed)
• 24 Hour turnaround
• 10% secure messaging
• Blue Button Initiative
• Ability to contribute information electronically

10. Benefits
• Patient Engagement - Patient preventative
care and disease management reminders
• Patient Compliance – Remind patients of
follow up plans
• Operational Efficiency – Calls replaced with
messages which can be handled outside of
clinic hours
• Brand Loyalty – Well utilized portals assist in
patient retention

11. Native vs Third Party
• Portals created by EHR vendors have greater
workflow integration and are required to meet
certification requirements.
• Third party portals are sometimes optimal if
multiple EHRs are in use or vendor EHRs do
not meet functionality requirements.
However, additional steps are needed to
integrate the portal and EHR in order to meet
MU requirements.

12. Challenge - Enrollment
• Challenge: Difficulty in getting patients
engaged.
• Suggestions:
– Auto enrollment meets requirements for Stage 1
and Stage 2 (first measure).
– Rewarding for use (be careful of inducement laws
and contracts).
– Outward emails to patients encouraging
interaction.

13. Challenge – Foreign Languages
• Challenge: Portals typically support a limited
number of languages.
• Suggestions:
– Designate English speaking care giver.
– Use third party portal with additional languages.
– Language specific engagements.

14. Challenge – Lack of Access
• Challenge: Patients lack
computer access.
• Suggestions:
– Provide terminals in
waiting room.
– Ensure portal has a
smart phone app or is
mobile friendly.

15. Challenge – Age of Patients
• Challenge: Patients are
older and not
comfortable with
technology.
• Suggestions:
– Designate caregiver.
– Ensure portal has a
smart phone app or is
mobile friendly.
– Refer to or provide
computer classes.

16. Challenge – Specialties
• Challenge: No face to face interaction with
patients.
• Suggestions:
– Portal enrollment is still required – use auto
enrollment more heavily.
– You may be exempted from messaged
requirements.

17. Challenge – Specialties, continued
• Challenge: High propensity of patients have
physical or mental disability which presents
use of portal.
• Suggestions:
– Designate care givers.
– Provide extra training for accessibility (how to
increase font sizes).

18. Case Study 1
• Medicare Advantage clinic in Miami with high
geriatric and non-English speaking population.
– Implemented Spanish patient portal.
– Collected care giver emails.
– Auto enrolled patients.
– Already had computer training classes as part of
their socialization classes. Added patient portal as
part of the curriculum.

19. Case Study 2
• IPA in San Francisco’s Chinatown providing
care to non-English speaking, older, and less
affluent population.
– Implemented Chinese patient portal.
– Collected care giver emails.
– Auto enrolled patients.
– Worked with a local non-profit who received a
grant for computer training. Added patient portal
to the curriculum.

20. Recap
• Patient portal is required for MU.
• Secure messaging is required for MU2 and
above.
• Selecting the correct portal for your
population is incredibly important.
• Proactive planning and budgeting is needed
well before attestation period.

21. Q&A
Ben.quirk@quirkhealthcare.com