A new patient portal workflow: What challenges can practices expect?

A small study conducted at a primary care practice in Philadelpha found that using medical assistants to filter and triage patient portal messages was an effective time saver for physicians, and had other beneficial results when it came to physician burnout and a gender gap in responses. But what challenges did the practice experience as a result of this new workflow?

The results of the study — authored by Jennifer N. Lee, MD, FAAFP; Laura Kurash, MD, Max Yang and Joseph Teel, MD, FAAFP — were published in the Annals of Family Medicine in May.

Medical Economics recently sat down with Lee to discuss the study findings. Lee is medical director at Penn Family Care and vice chair of clinical operations at the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also assistant professor of clinical family member at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.