Washington measles outbreak drives spike in patient portal enrollment  

Emily Rappleye -

The Washington State Department of Health saw a 476 percent increase in enrollment in its patient portal for immunizations after a January measles outbreak, according to the HHS Office of the Chief Technology Officer.

Washington uses a portal called MyIR to help families track their immunization records and coordinate future vaccinations. MyIR also enables users to send their records to schools or athletic clubs. A similar system is used in Louisiana and Arizona, according to the HHS Office of the CTO on Twitter. Parents and guardians can register for access to the portal and visit a healthcare provider to confirm their immunizations before using the service.

The patient portal saw a swell in enrollment following Washington's measles outbreak, which was declared a state emergency Jan. 25. Washington's health department has confirmed 62 cases of measles as of Feb. 17.  

While there are demonstrated benefits to patient portals, research shows nearly two-thirds of patients haven't used one in the past year.

 

More articles on patient engagement:

'Told' is the word most linked to negative hospital reviews on Yelp
Mayo Clinic rolls out first-aid voice skill for Google Assistant
Healthdom to improve patient data access with Medfusion APIs

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.