The common patient care journey shared by healthcare organizations of any size typically begins with patient onboarding. This process often includes initial consultations and setting up health records. Following onboarding, the journey continues with appointment scheduling and reminders to ensure patients keep their appointments.
A PLoS One study provides the following insight into the need for the consideration of the patient journey, “The Beryl Institute defines patient experience as “the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization’s culture, that influence patient perceptions, across the continuum of care.” Wolf et al. specify that interactions are “The orchestrated touchpoints of people, processes, policies, communications, actions, and environment” and patient perceptions are “what is recognized, understood and remembered by patients and support people.”
During medical consultations, healthcare providers diagnose conditions, propose treatment plans, and offer follow-up visits to monitor progress and adjust care as needed. Patients receive test results and medical records, and healthcare providers could share educational materials to help patients understand their conditions and treatments better.
The healthcare providers take on the role of caregivers, educators, and coordinators. They guide patients through each step, offering personalized and timely care. Effective communication methods, like HIPAA compliant email and text messaging, make this this role that much easier. These tools allow secure and efficient exchanges of sensitive information, such as test results, treatment updates, and appointment reminders.
The initial engagement stage of patient care is when a healthcare provider first connects with a new patient. During this stage, the provider collects information like medical history, insurance details, and personal information to set up the patient's health records. It also involves scheduling appointments and sending reminders to ensure patients don't miss their visits.
HIPAA compliant email like Paubox, is invaluable in this process. It allows for the secure transmission of sensitive information, like medical history forms and insurance details, and provides a safe way to send appointment confirmations and reminders. This protects patient data and makes the onboarding process smoother and more efficient.
The consultation and diagnosis stage is where doctors assess a patient’s condition through exams and tests to determine what’s wrong and how to treat it. By communicating through email, doctors can quickly send test results, detailed explanations of diagnoses, and follow-up instructions directly to the patient’s inbox, cutting down the wait time associated with phone calls or mail. This timely delivery of information helps patients understand their health status and treatment options quickly.
The treatment and management stage is where healthcare providers implement and monitor a patient's care plan. This includes administering treatments, prescribing medications, scheduling follow-up appointments, and adjusting care plans based on the patient's progress.
Communication requirements during this stage include sending treatment instructions, medication reminders, and progress updates directly to the patient's inbox. During this stage email allows for the patient in turn to report side effects and receive advice from their healthcare provider. This secure, direct line of communication helps patients stay engaged and informed throughout their treatment.
See also: Using HIPAA compliant emails in PTSD interventions
Follow-up care can take many forms, the ways email can assist with this include:
See also: Top 12 HIPAA compliant email services
HIPAA compliant email is a secure email service that adheres to the requirements of HIPAA to make sure patients' health information remains private.
The main thing to look for is a provider offering to sign a business associate agreement (BAA).
HIPAA compliance is required for healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and their business associates who handle protected health information (PHI).