title: MyHealthAtVanderbilt: policies and procedures governing patient portal functionality.
abstract: Explicit guidelines are needed to develop safe and effective patient portals. This paper proposes general principles, policies, and procedures for patient portal functionality based on MyHealthAtVanderbilt (MHAV), a robust portal for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. We describe policies and procedures designed to govern popular portal functions, address common user concerns, and support adoption. We present the results of our approach as overall and function-specific usage data. Five years after implementation, MHAV has over 129,800 users; 45% have used bi-directional messaging; 52% have viewed test results and 45% have viewed other medical record data; 30% have accessed health education materials; 39% have scheduled appointments; and 29% have managed a medical bill. Our policies and procedures have supported widespread adoption and use of MHAV. We believe other healthcare organizations could employ our general guidelines and lessons learned to facilitate portal implementation and usage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8300, USA. chandra.osborn@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Chandra Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Osborn
authors.forename: S Trent
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Rosenbloom
authors.forename: Shane P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stenner
authors.forename: Shilo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anders
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muse
authors.forename: Kevin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jirjis
authors.forename: Gretchen Purcell
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D057286:Electronic Health Records; D055991:Health Records, Personal; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D033283:Patient Access to Records; D013714:Tennessee