Electronic health records (EHRs) are essential for keeping health and counseling clinics organized and for promoting efficiency among providers and staff members.
Patient Portals in particular are a key tool to help enhance the student experience. At first thought, many may think that EHRs solely enhance clinical workflow and efficiency, but an exceptional EHR system can benefit both providers and their patients.
Here’s how EHRs can enhance student education and empowerment:
Enhancing Accessibility for All Students
EHRs can help promote patient education by giving students the freedom to easily access their health information and any associated educational resources online.
When students have virtual access to this information, it’s much more convenient for them to engage with their health anytime, anywhere. Although providers verbally communicate information during appointments, students may forget details or wish to share the information with others.
By providing a way for students to review this information, they can ensure they didn’t miss anything, leading to better engagement in their health. This empowerment can reduce anxiety, improve medication adherence, strengthen patient-provider relationships, and enhance health outcomes.
The Power of Secure Messaging
Within your EHR system, you likely have the option to securely message students to further boost patient education and empowerment. With secure messaging, patients and providers can communicate with each other in a safe, confidential manner.
According to, The HIPAA Journal, secure messaging has been shown to “accelerate clinical workflows and help accelerate patient throughput, reduce the potential for medical errors, increase patient satisfaction, improve clinical outcomes, and significantly reduce costs while ensuring compliance with HIPAA.”
Furthermore, with secure messaging, students can easily reach out to clinic staff with questions as they arise, eliminating the hassle of phone tag or waiting until their next appointment.
As a result, this significantly increases patient satisfaction, as students get their questions answered much more quickly and responses are tailored to them and their health history. Students may even feel more comfortable disclosing information via a secure messaging portal rather than face-to-face with their provider, resulting in more thorough patient care.
Moreover, students may choose to provide health information to their providers through secure messaging. For example, students may be able to take their own blood pressure or glucose level readings, so that their provider can easily provide additional care.
Digital Documents and Resources
Additionally, providers can attach or upload digital documents into their EHR system for students to view.
For example, following an appointment, providers can attach relevant educational materials, discharge paperwork, or test results. This empowers students to access detailed information about their visit, conduct further research, and take an active role in managing their health.
Moreover, adopting digital documentation can significantly reduce the administrative burden on staff. By eliminating the need for paper-based records, clinics can streamline processes, save time, and create a more organized and efficient workspace.
This allows healthcare professionals to focus on providing high-quality care and building stronger relationships with their patients.
Optimizing Outreach Events
Along with informational resources and medical documents, clinic staff may also want to promote upcoming events.
For instance, student health centers may want to promote their upcoming flu clinic, and counseling centers may want to notify students of a meditation workshop during finals week. This helps students take advantage of the programming clinics work so hard to organize.
The possibilities for boosting patient education and engagement through an EHR system are virtually endless! With strategic planning and effective communication, clinics can use their EHR to maximize outreach efforts and provide students with the support they need to thrive.
Learn more about connecting students with key resources here.
Key Takeaways
EHRs do more than just help with clinic productivity and efficiency. They also help promote patient education. Furthermore, an effective EHR system allows students to easily access their health records, communicate with clinic staff, receive valuable resources, and attend helpful events.
Rather than having to worry about patients forgetting what was stated during an appointment, EHRs can do all the work for clinic staff while also giving patients the tools they need to further their knowledge to reach their health and wellness goals.
