Several capabilities have been incorporated into modern patient portals, including chatbots and digital twins, to maximize their potential for improving the patient experience. However, it may take some time for hospitals to adopt the newer major language models to their patient portals.
In the session “Patient portal integration for improved hospital operations,” Dr. Roel Bolt, CMIO, Franciscus Hospital discussed the evolution and innovation of patient portals.
In recent years, IT providers have introduced chatbots in patient portals, which are mainly intended to answer general questions, such as disease-specific questions, hospital visiting hours and invoices.
Dr. Bolt predicts that in the future, patient portals will provide more personalized health recommendations based on digital twins. Predictive capabilities could soon also be applied to patient portals to predict usage based on patient data.
Another potential future innovation in patient portals is the application of LLMs.
“It may be an easy way to get clarification on medical terminologies, but these models are still (confusing), and I don’t think we want that (for our patients),” Dr. Bolt warned.
Besides being confusing, there are still uncertainties about how LLMs interact with patients. “As long as we don’t know how to deal with different types of patients, with different backgrounds, cultures, diseases… it’s going to be a daunting task for LLMs to do that.”
Dr. Bolt said that if hospitals want to incorporate LLMs into their patient portals, “then we need to have those models hosted locally so that we keep the information there and keep all the data from spreading.”
Transparency and verification are also considerations when conducting LLMs on patient portals.
Advantages
Citing recent studies, Dr. Bolt noted that only 13% to 15% of hospitals with patient portals are taking advantage of one or more of the technology’s capabilities.
“There’s a huge payoff to be had if you do it the right way,” he said. Using modern patient portals can improve patient outcomes, engagement, and satisfaction, among other benefits.
Patient portals, he asserted, are also “powerful” tools for optimizing hospital operations.
“They streamline administrative processes, improve communication and reduce costs. They increase patient engagement and satisfaction and provide valuable data for decision-making. Implementing and effectively using patient portals can result in more efficient and patient-centered healthcare operations, which ultimately benefits to both hospitals and patients.”
Barriers to adoption
While there are promising benefits to using patient portals, some may not fully realize their potential due to several barriers, including limited digital literacy and internet access, usability issues, security and privacy concerns, and patients who prefer face-to-face contact.
Dr. Bolt also cited health illiteracy – particularly difficulty understanding medical jargon – as one of the reasons for the lower use of patient portals.
“This issue is not just a matter of usability. It has significant implications for patient outcomes. A lack of understanding can lead to reduced medication adherence, missed appointments and even medical errors,” he said.
A solution to this is the use of SNOMED CT. In the Netherlands, Dr. Bolt said, all hospitals are required to use the diagnostic thesaurus for billing and reimbursement. The health authority there has also developed patient-friendly descriptions on the SNOMED system.
“These barriers (to the use of patient portals) can be addressed with technical solutions, but especially with training (and) creating awareness for patients and doctors.” Dr. Bolt added that doctors who promote its use have been effective in increasing its adoption.