Modest Decline Seen in Portal Messaging With Billing Implementation
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Dec. 30, 2024 -- Implementation of e-visit billing for responding to patient-initiated messages that require substantive medical decision-making is associated with a modest decrease in patient-initiated portal message volume, according to a study published online Dec. 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Shannon M. Dunlay, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues examined the effect of billing eligible patient-initiated portal messages as e-visits in a retrospective observation pre-post comparison and prospective survey. The volume of patient-initiated medical advice message threads was compared preimplementation versus postimplementation of e-visit billing. An online survey was used to assess health system provider perceptions of e-visit billing.
The researchers found that the volume of patient-initiated medical advice message threads decreased by 8.8 percent in the six months after e-visit billing implementation (Aug 18, 2023, through Feb. 18, 2024) compared with the same dates the year prior. Overall, 5,183 medical advice messages (0.3 percent) were billed. Patients who proceeded with sending a message had no difference in seven-day use of emergency services compared with those who did not send a message after viewing the billing disclaimer on the patient portal. Overall acceptance of e-visit billing was reported by providers, but they expressed concerns relating to increased workload with the current process.
"As digital health care practices continue to evolve, opportunities exist to optimize interactions to maximize patient satisfaction and outcomes and minimize care team burden and burnout," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Swept-Source Anterior Segment OCT Can Help Distinguish Early Childhood Glaucoma
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- The noninvasive swept-source anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (SS-ASOCT) can diagnose early-onset childhood glaucoma, according to a study...
Semaglutide Plus Intensive Behavioral Therapy Most Beneficial for Weight Loss
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- Weight loss treatment combining personalized semaglutide with intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) yields weight loss similar to that reported in...
Higher Social Media Use Tied to Subsequent Depressive Symptoms in Youth
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- Higher social media use is associated with greater subsequent depressive symptoms in children and adolescents, according to a study published online May 21...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.