Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

Healthcare providers set up patient portals mainly to?

1. Reduce the workload of healthcare providers

2. Allow secure access for patients to their medical records

3. Facilitate unnecessary communications

4. Increase the number of patient visits

The correct answer is: Allow secure access for patients to their medical records

The main purpose of setting up patient portals is to allow secure access for patients to their medical records. These portals are designed to empower patients by providing them with easy, online access to their health information, such as lab results, treatment plans, medication lists, and appointment scheduling. This accessibility is crucial for enhancing patient engagement in their own healthcare, allowing patients to take an active role in managing their conditions. Secure access is essential in maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality, in line with HIPAA regulations. By enabling patients to view their health information through secure portals, healthcare providers can help ensure that patients have the information they need to make informed decisions about their health. The other options do not encapsulate the primary intent behind patient portals. While it is true that portals may help reduce provider workload indirectly by decreasing the number of phone calls for information or appointment scheduling, this is not the main goal. Similarly, increasing patient visits is not the primary function of these portals; instead, the focus is on improving access to information. Lastly, facilitating unnecessary communications contradicts the purpose of a patient portal, which aims to streamline communication rather than complicate it.