AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Online Tools and Services Activate Plan Enrollees and Engage Them in Their Care, Enhance Efficiency, and Improve Satisfaction and Retention

Online Tools and Services Activate Plan Enrollees and Engage Them in Their Care, Enhance Efficiency, and Improve Satisfaction and Retention

Snapshot
Summary
Group Health Cooperative, a large, integrated system that includes several health plans, facilitates patient-provider communication and empowers plan enrollees to share responsibility for their health and health care by offering an array of interactive services and tools on its Web site. As part of a secure member portal, a system-wide online shared health record allows enrollees to access medical records online; provides secure e-mail access to physicians; and offers the ability to complete an electronic health risk assessment—an interactive online questionnaire that helps pinpoint care needs and access individualized health information. The system also allows enrollees to easily access relevant educational information, obtain test results, and schedule appointments. Group Health also recently began offering shared decisionmaking aids for 12 preference-sensitive health conditions related to elective surgical procedures. An analysis found that nearly half of enrollees use the shared health record and electronic health risk assessment, which have increased patient convenience by replacing the need for many inperson visits and telephone calls. Many of those completing the electronic health risk assessment have indicated that they intend to address the identified issues. Surveys reveal higher enrollee satisfaction and retention among shared health record and electronic health risk assessment users than among nonusers.

See the Description section for information about the addition of shared-decision making tools and the Results section for updated 2009 results data (updated September 2009).
Evidence Rating
Moderate: The evidence consists of post-implementation statistics regarding shared health record and electronic health risk assessment use, along with survey data measuring various aspects of satisfaction and retention among users and nonusers.


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AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Online Tools and Services Activate Plan Enrollees and Engage Them in Their Care, Enhance Efficiency, and Improve Satisfaction and Retention