Get USA medical staff to use patient portal/email instead of phone?
July 10, 2024 8:05 PM Subscribe
For years, at a variety or primary care and specialist practices, for both myself and my son, I will send a "secure message" via the patient portal, and staff always reply by phone call. I often can't answer their calls because they come before I'm awake, or during Zoom calls. I just want them to reply using the patient portal. How can I get them to?
As one example, today, an administrator at a specialist called me to cancel an appointment and said they'd call me tomorrow to reschedule. I asked if they could contact me via the portal instead and they said they couldn't. (I didn't press the point because I want to stay on good terms with the staff.) They said I didn't need to worry, that if I didn't answer the first time they'd call several times throughout the day. (The exact opposite of what I want.)
A couple years ago, I actually complained to my primary doctor about it. The staff got a talking-to, I think someone added a note to my account, and for a few months I got portal messages. Then it seems the whole thing was forgotten and it was back to phone replies for everything.
Why won't medical staff in the USA use the patient portal messaging that's touted on posters throughout their doctors' offices? (The posters seem like a cruel joke to me now.) Is there a reliable, easily-repeatable way to get practices not to use the phone?
As one example, today, an administrator at a specialist called me to cancel an appointment and said they'd call me tomorrow to reschedule. I asked if they could contact me via the portal instead and they said they couldn't. (I didn't press the point because I want to stay on good terms with the staff.) They said I didn't need to worry, that if I didn't answer the first time they'd call several times throughout the day. (The exact opposite of what I want.)
A couple years ago, I actually complained to my primary doctor about it. The staff got a talking-to, I think someone added a note to my account, and for a few months I got portal messages. Then it seems the whole thing was forgotten and it was back to phone replies for everything.
Why won't medical staff in the USA use the patient portal messaging that's touted on posters throughout their doctors' offices? (The posters seem like a cruel joke to me now.) Is there a reliable, easily-repeatable way to get practices not to use the phone?
Kaiser?
I have the same problem. Especially more acute as I am Deaf. I use a video relay service to place calls, but receiving calls often are futile because the relay app doesn't alert me in time, and oftentimes they leave messages that the interpreter doesn't translate clearly, and so on.
Kaiser, in my case, unfortunately has no way to set a systemwide setting/preference to contact me via messaging in the portal, so I have to tell the doctor's office to inform their staff (nurses/schedulers) to email me on the portal, and even so, sometimes they forget and call, or don't review the notes close enough. It's frustrating, especially as the phone numbers they leave often reach the main Kaiser number, which means navigating a phone tree and getting a rep to transfer me to the right department (hopefully). It's also hard, because if they need to reschedule, they often can't get me my desired rescheduled appointment day/time because by the time I respond to them in the portal and they get the time to respond, the time has been snapped up. Might be in soapbox mode here, but it would be super nice if they had some kind of rescheduling ticket that would come up right away if a reschedule was needed, and I would be able to do that online. Unfortunately, the medical field isn't that tech savvy for the most part when it comes to customer-facing technologies.
You could try that with your staff and see, but if it's Kaiser, then you might have to expect some of the inconsistencies I did. If it's a localized and smaller doctor office, then it might be easier to communicate that, but if it's part of a huge company/organization like Kaiser/United/etc, then it might be hard. Wanted to share my experiences here and to say that I emphasize.
posted by dubious_dude at 8:49 PM on July 10 [2 favorites]
I have the same problem. Especially more acute as I am Deaf. I use a video relay service to place calls, but receiving calls often are futile because the relay app doesn't alert me in time, and oftentimes they leave messages that the interpreter doesn't translate clearly, and so on.
Kaiser, in my case, unfortunately has no way to set a systemwide setting/preference to contact me via messaging in the portal, so I have to tell the doctor's office to inform their staff (nurses/schedulers) to email me on the portal, and even so, sometimes they forget and call, or don't review the notes close enough. It's frustrating, especially as the phone numbers they leave often reach the main Kaiser number, which means navigating a phone tree and getting a rep to transfer me to the right department (hopefully). It's also hard, because if they need to reschedule, they often can't get me my desired rescheduled appointment day/time because by the time I respond to them in the portal and they get the time to respond, the time has been snapped up. Might be in soapbox mode here, but it would be super nice if they had some kind of rescheduling ticket that would come up right away if a reschedule was needed, and I would be able to do that online. Unfortunately, the medical field isn't that tech savvy for the most part when it comes to customer-facing technologies.
You could try that with your staff and see, but if it's Kaiser, then you might have to expect some of the inconsistencies I did. If it's a localized and smaller doctor office, then it might be easier to communicate that, but if it's part of a huge company/organization like Kaiser/United/etc, then it might be hard. Wanted to share my experiences here and to say that I emphasize.
posted by dubious_dude at 8:49 PM on July 10 [2 favorites]
I would put PLEASE RESPOND VIA THE PORTAL, I AM NOT ABLE TO ACCESS PHONE/ VOICEMAIL AT THIS TIME to the end of each of your messages in the portal.
posted by tristeza at 9:19 PM on July 10 [13 favorites]
posted by tristeza at 9:19 PM on July 10 [13 favorites]
I am able to communicate with most of my doctors through the hospital system (EPIC) portal. They have made appointments for me, put in prescriptions, and given me advice. One doctor is not part of this and uses Klara to securely communicate with me. This is not to rub it in, but to show that in the USA it is definitely possible (i.e. not illegal or against HIPPA) to use portals. If it were me I would respond to every call not by phone but on the portal with tristeza's script above "Please respond via THE PORTAL, I am NOT ABLE TO ACCESS phone/voicemail at this time." I like only ALL CAPSing a few words for emphasis (I just scan and don't read ALL all caps).
posted by Bunglegirl at 9:36 PM on July 10 [1 favorite]
posted by Bunglegirl at 9:36 PM on July 10 [1 favorite]
I may go as far as delete the phone number from the patient information and put it under emergency contact number, if the system lets you do that.
Or enter an obviously fake number, like 5551212 or 3675309 (though I doubt Gen Z would recognize the ref). If they ask just claim something like "phone stolen, getting replacement" or something like that.
posted by kschang at 10:36 PM on July 10 [3 favorites]
Or enter an obviously fake number, like 5551212 or 3675309 (though I doubt Gen Z would recognize the ref). If they ask just claim something like "phone stolen, getting replacement" or something like that.
posted by kschang at 10:36 PM on July 10 [3 favorites]
Best answer: 8675309.
Optum patient here. I also prefer the portal to a phone call. I am willing to call them at a time that works for me, but them calling me repeatedly and randomly is no bueno.
I send them very specific messages. "I would like to schedule a follow-up visit on Tuesday the 9th at 3pm. If this is not acceptable, please respond to this message via the portal with 3 times and days that work for the good doctor." I just assume I am one of say 50 responses they have to make and try not to get on the to call list by having them respond immediately after reading my message. Getting on the rote call back list is tantamount to failure.
I also use Google Voice and have set up any call from the main number to go to vm. I will switch my voice mail message to a very specific, "If this is the doctor's office please communicate through the portal as I am unable to talk now."
I also try to establish a pattern for our communications. I will only initiate with a message not a call and even if they leave a vm, I will respond through the portal." I received your voice mail. Please note that the best most appropriate way to reach me is via this portal. And, yes, I will be there tomorrow at noon."
Just be consistent. Never answer their calls (unless you have an emergency or a time sensitive issue). Always respond to them via the portal.
My guess is that even with any and all efforts it is a 50 - 50 shot at them getting it right. Often in the big practices there is a lot of turnover in personnel and you have to train the new person every few months how best to interact with you.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:31 AM on July 11 [4 favorites]
Optum patient here. I also prefer the portal to a phone call. I am willing to call them at a time that works for me, but them calling me repeatedly and randomly is no bueno.
I send them very specific messages. "I would like to schedule a follow-up visit on Tuesday the 9th at 3pm. If this is not acceptable, please respond to this message via the portal with 3 times and days that work for the good doctor." I just assume I am one of say 50 responses they have to make and try not to get on the to call list by having them respond immediately after reading my message. Getting on the rote call back list is tantamount to failure.
I also use Google Voice and have set up any call from the main number to go to vm. I will switch my voice mail message to a very specific, "If this is the doctor's office please communicate through the portal as I am unable to talk now."
I also try to establish a pattern for our communications. I will only initiate with a message not a call and even if they leave a vm, I will respond through the portal." I received your voice mail. Please note that the best most appropriate way to reach me is via this portal. And, yes, I will be there tomorrow at noon."
Just be consistent. Never answer their calls (unless you have an emergency or a time sensitive issue). Always respond to them via the portal.
My guess is that even with any and all efforts it is a 50 - 50 shot at them getting it right. Often in the big practices there is a lot of turnover in personnel and you have to train the new person every few months how best to interact with you.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:31 AM on July 11 [4 favorites]
When I can, I sacrifice the convenience of negotiating an appointment time to "Please schedule me for the provider's first available appointment at any location. There's no need to call to confirm." Even if I'm actually talking to someone and "they'll call you to schedule" comes up, I ask them to put that in the note to scheduling, that there's no need to call and I'll reach out if there's a problem. If the odds of them picking a time that genuinely won't work for me seem too high and they won't agree to just use the portal, I at least specify the best time to reach me by phone and that they may leave a detailed voicemail.
(Extra annoyingly, the feature I truly want–of being able to just see a provider's availability for the appointment length I need and pick something–exists. I've used it! One clinic, maybe just the one speciality at that one clinic, can do it and it's great. But there's so much casual hate for Epic among staff that I fully expect it's interfering with implementation of nice things like that. Maybe there are technical limitations on letting me schedule my own "follow-up in two months," I don't truly know, but fundamentally it seems achievable for the providers who actually have availability, versus those whose teams have to negotiate cramming me in to the secret reserve quasi-availability.)
posted by teremala at 4:17 AM on July 11 [2 favorites]
(Extra annoyingly, the feature I truly want–of being able to just see a provider's availability for the appointment length I need and pick something–exists. I've used it! One clinic, maybe just the one speciality at that one clinic, can do it and it's great. But there's so much casual hate for Epic among staff that I fully expect it's interfering with implementation of nice things like that. Maybe there are technical limitations on letting me schedule my own "follow-up in two months," I don't truly know, but fundamentally it seems achievable for the providers who actually have availability, versus those whose teams have to negotiate cramming me in to the secret reserve quasi-availability.)
posted by teremala at 4:17 AM on July 11 [2 favorites]
My experience with Kaiser has been different than dubious_dude's: Almost all communication has been through the portal. However, Kaiser has around 280,000 employees, so practices clearly vary.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:45 AM on July 11 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:45 AM on July 11 [1 favorite]
My provider (Virginia Mason/Franciscan Health in Seattle) makes good use of the portal for everything, except the occasional call to arrange a last-minute cancellation or rescheduling. The system is recently merged, and the Virginia Mason side (my primary) uses Cerner while the Franciscan side uses Epic; eventually they'll decide on one, I'm sure. I haven't used the Epic side enough to have an opinion about communication preferences.
If I were you, I'd put the plea to use the portal at the top AND bottom of my message.
posted by lhauser at 6:16 PM on July 11 [1 favorite]
If I were you, I'd put the plea to use the portal at the top AND bottom of my message.
posted by lhauser at 6:16 PM on July 11 [1 favorite]
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However, I will say that default for canceling and scheduling appointments is usually phone. Canceling because they want to be sure you receive the message and scheduling because how would they coordinate your schedule with provider without multiple messages back and forth?
posted by MadMadam at 8:11 PM on July 10 [3 favorites]