During the Reaching the Unreachables panel Tuesday at ENGAGE, Dr. Steve North described the challenges of working in a rural setting – specifically Spruce Pine, North Carolina. Spruce Pine is in western tip of the state squeezed between the Pisgah National Forest and the Cherokee National Forest in the Great Smoky Mountains.
“I have an Internet connection that doesn’t meet FCC requirements, so I can’t stream Netflix at my house but my kids can play Minecraft, so that’s good,” he said. “I can get four bars on my phone if I walk to the end of my driveway.”
He also mentioned patient portals. Obviously if a person doesn’t have a strong Internet connection, she can’t use a patient portal. North also pointed out that calling a nurse can put health information in context for a patient in a way that a portal cannot.
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“A nurse could say, “Well, Mr. Smith, your bad cholesterol is up, but so is your good cholesterol, so you’re probably doing OK,” he said.
Dr. North: why would a person use a patient portal when they could talk to a nurse? #mcengage
— MedCity News (@medcitynews) September 30, 2014
I tweeted this comment, because it seemed logical to me and definitely reflected my lousy experience with patient portals. I didn’t think there was much debate here, but that’s what you get for underestimating the audience at ENGAGE (not to mention the range of experiences represented on Twitter).
@medcitynews because they can't call a nurse 24/7, see charts of their vitals, glucose levels ect or visualize their reults
— HealthIT and mHealth (@JamieTitak) September 30, 2014
@medcitynews Calling my doc office to get to a nurse who will ask a doc who will tell nurse who calls me back… NOT EFFICIENT. #mcENGAGE
— AfternoonNapper (@AfternoonNapper) September 30, 2014
@medcitynews also who wants to wait on hold?
— HealthIT and mHealth (@JamieTitak) September 30, 2014
@medcitynews I get my results via pt portal hours if not DAYS if not weeks before office contacts me. #mcENGAGE
— AfternoonNapper (@AfternoonNapper) September 30, 2014
And Carly Medosch pointed out that someones a phone call is not an option in the first place.
@medcitynews CAN they talk to nurse? Do they have privacy to make the call during business hours? #mcENGAGE
— CarlyRM (@CarlyRM) September 30, 2014
There were a few people who agreed with me.
PeopleWantPeople! MT @nxtstop1 TooRight>Portals r ValU(-) @medcitynews DrNorth:why wld person UsePatientPortal if cld talk 2nurse? #mcENGAGE
— PathGeek (@PathGeek) September 30, 2014
@PathGeek @medcitynews Key: now most patient portals r like a bridge to nowhere ~zero value.Make useful,compelling,answer needs. #mcENGAGE
— Bernadette Keefe (@nxtstop1) September 30, 2014
@MakerMin @nxtstop1 @medcitynews I still see the bridge as unstable; patients participation will, indeed, make it stronger; all must play.
— PathGeek (@PathGeek) September 30, 2014
This —> “@PathGeek: @nxtstop1 @medcitynews Many Dr portals ==same value (0). Need to make systems for users not only C-suite & payers”
— James Grant (@JamesGrantFL) September 30, 2014
This Twitter conversation shows that the quality and usability of portals is all over the map, and that a tool is only useful if people start using it.
@nxtstop1 @PathGeek @medcitynews i see pt portal as a bridge but pts still need help to walk over that bridge with individualistic support
— Min Yang (@MakerMin) September 30, 2014