More Nebraska Medicine patients are learning the value of One Chart | Patient, which recently surpassed the 100,000 mark of active users in the patient portal.
Find the site
Patients can discover One Chart | Patient on the Nebraska Medicine website or receive an activation code to sign up on their After Visit Summary.
The portal also offers a free mobile app, making it even easier to access a provider, request an appointment, check on a test result or request a prescription renewal.
“Hitting 100,000 was always a goal,” said McKinzie Schmidt, manager, business applications, Nebraska Medicine. “But of course, we have our sights set on growing that number substantially.”
One Chart | Patient provides many benefits. The portal allows users to log in to review lab, imaging and pathology results, request a prescription renewal or an appointment, review medical history, pay a bill and send a message to a provider. There is no charge to patients to use One Chart | Patient.
“The ability to send a message to your provider is incredibly convenient and one of the most popular features of the portal,” Schmidt said. “If you have a question about a medication, or a non-emergent health concern, you can simply send a message instead of playing phone tag with the nurse.”
The expectation is that patients receive a response within one business day.
Nebraska Medicine leadership has set its sights on increasing the number of patients using the portal.
“Research has shown that patients feel more in control of their health when they have access to their medical record,” said Lynn Borstelmann, executive director, enterprise applications, Nebraska Medicine. “We want our patients to be engaged and active participants in their health.”
The hope is that increased engagement will improve patient outcomes. To encourage patients to use One Chart | Patient, the most effective way to introduce it is during the office visit.
“A patient is more likely to use the tool if their provider tells them ‘this is a good way for me to communicate with you’,” said Sarah Richards, M.D., UNMC assistant professor of internal medicine-general medicine, and medical director, patient experience at Nebraska Medicine.
The clinic team can help them sign up at the front desk or during the visit.
“Clinic team members who use the portal themselves are particularly effective in assisting patients,” said Kara Tomlinson, director, ambulatory clinics at Nebraska Medicine.
“The portal has allowed me to more quickly get test results back to the patient,” said Sonja Kinney, M.D., UNMC associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and medical director of the Olson Center for Women’s Health. “One of the big benefits has been the ability for patients to ask one more question or get clarification on your recommendations. Even when I think my note has been pretty comprehensive, frequently, there is one last question the patient would like to ask, which is so easy using our online portal messaging.”