Hand Therapy: Engaging patients in their care through a Patient Portal
Hayley O’sullivan1, Stephanie Ellis , Kath Feely 1Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Abstract
Background:
In 2019 Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) implemented an electronic medical record which included a patient portal. Patient portal enables patients to be an active participant in their care by facilitating patients’ engagement in their rehabilitation. Further, the portal facilitates direct communication with their GP.
Hand Therapy (HT) see many patients every year, and commenced using the portal in 2020, with focus on access to exercises programs and appointment schedules.
Method:
RMH HT patients are encouraged to sign-up to the portal at initial consultation. With consent, they are sent a personalised link and guided through the process and features.
On completion of treatment sessions, appointment details, exercise program and condition specific information are visible in the portal for patients to access anytime.
Results:
Currently 58% of HT patients are engaged with the portal. Patients accessing the portal are aged 18 to 87 with a spread of primary languages. Patients report main features utilised are appointment schedules and exercise programs. Further, having the option to cancel makes patients more likely to cancel than not attend an appointment. This allows appointments to be offered to other patients, increasing efficiency within HT.
Discussion:
The use of the portal has empowered HT patients to take ownership of their rehabilitation with easier access to their exercise program and appointment schedules. Age or primary language has not been a barrier to utilising the portal. There is further opportunity to utilise the portal for additional engagement such as patient rated outcome measures.
Biography
Hayley O’Sullivan an accredited hand therapist and a clinical expert within the field of hand therapy. She has 14 years of experience and has a particular interest in the management of multi-trauma. Hayley has worked within hand therapy at RMH for 8 years and has been key in the successful implementation of the successful RMH CRPS pathway, as well as more recently leading the direct hand therapy management for acquired hand conditions as part of RMH’s surgical reform initiatives. Hayley strongly believes that patient engagement is a key component to successful outcomes.