How I Use Patient Portals to Manage My Healthcare

Navigating your care plan in today's healthcare system is a frustrating task. If you live with multiple conditions, that adds layers atop a precarious stack of medical records. Many medical practices are now making patient portals available. Patient portals are one of the most beneficial tools to help manage my care plan. When you pair up access to a portal with doctors who understand your condition(s) and are willing to partner with you in your care plan, you set yourself up for success. It's not like stepping into Narnia, but having access to your medical records in a few clicks is cool.

Which doctors make up my care team?

It has taken me a while to find doctors who understand my conditions and how they affect my daily life. I am also fortunate to have doctors who really hear me. They will work with me to find the most effective treatment options that fit my life. The stars further aligned for me when my migraine specialist, primary care doctor, and neurosurgeon came under the same corporate umbrella of Tampa General Hospital/USF Medical Center. This linked all my records with these practices going back almost fifteen years!

How have I used the messaging function?

One of my favorite tools is the portal's messaging function. It allows me to communicate with my doctor's practices without calling their offices. I can ask medical questions about my care, upload research articles and studies, obtain or request referrals, and personally manage my health information, including medications. This helps me coordinate medication refills, infusions, and various healthcare services my insurance covers. Generally, I receive a response to messages and queries from the doctor or their staff within two days.

How do I evaluate my test results?

Another tool I like is having the ability to review all the medical tests I've had in the database. I'm not always in the right headspace to understand all the information from the tests I undergo. However, the portal allows me to view the reports on my own time. I love analyzing my test results and will often do a deep dive into research studies regarding them. If I find something I'd like to get clarified by my doctor(s), I can attach a link or PDF file to a message and send it through the portal. My headache specialist is great about working the studies into my visit. It helps us understand each other better and allows us to see the problem through each other's perspective.

How has using a patient portal made managing migraine easier?

Convenience is at the heart of using the patient portal. I can manage appointments, request medication refills, get therapy referrals, pay bills, and manage most aspects of my healthcare easily. I can contact the office directly if there is an urgent need, such as pre-arranging for a hospital admission. Having access to my health information on demand makes my appointments go smoothly. I can focus my energy on being present during the visit. If I forget something, as I always do, I can follow up via the portal.

I am not a super tech-savvy person by any means. Initially, the thought of navigating another bit of technology was daunting. Still, I found setting up my patient portals was simple enough. If your doctor's practice has patient portals, please try them out. You may be fortunate enough to have all your medical records under one umbrella, as I do. Many stand-alone portals have sharing privileges, allowing you to share data with them with your permission. Overall, utilizing patient portals is a handy tool.

What are your thoughts on patient portals, and if you don't use one, would you be willing to try one out?