Is it registering? Patient portals, part II (see Financial Department for part I).

While the trend has been slowed by the economy, portal adoption is growing. CIOs are deploying portals that enable patients to access lab results, request or cancel appointments and get discharge information. Some portals enable patients to communicate directly with physicians and view their records. While some portals integrate with EMRs (including lab and pharmacy), others sit on top. Many patients--and CIOs--still have concerns regarding privacy and security. Some experts believe portals will integrate further with hospital information systems in the future, and will include functions like e-prescribing.