A patient is discharged from the hospital after a thyroidectomy and, during the discharge process, was given a code to access the hospital’s web-based patient portal. At home, the patient logs into the hospital website and accesses the patient portal. The patient can view messages from the hospital and physician, lab results, test results, medication record, and follow-up appointments. While reviewing test results, the patient notices that the pathology report from the thyroidectomy stated papillary carcinoma. The patient did not know what this result meant and performed a web search for the topic. The patient was not informed that the pathology identified cancer while in the hospital and called the physician for clarification.

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What is the benefit of a patient portal?

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What information should be accessible through a patient portal?

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What types of policies and procedures should be in place for patient portals?