Patients are becoming active healthcare consumers, involved in the management of their own care. Statements like those have been commonplace in conversation for a few years now. A new market report from Frost & Sullivan show that it is becoming the norm in practice, too: Half of US hospitals (and 40% of physicians in ambulatory practice) offer access to online portals to their patients.   

The report notes that not all patients in those locations utilize the technology, but the mark still represents a notable mark in the acquisition of the technology across the healthcare industry. Titled “U.S. Patient Portal Market for Hospitals and Physicians: Overview and Outlook, 2012–2017,” Frost & Sullivan’s analysis shows that the portals are most often a module of practice management or electronic health record systems.

The patient portal market is expected to grow significantly during the next 5 years. The revenue for the technology is projected to grow 221% during that time, growing from $279 million to $898 million, driven by multiple factors including Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements, the transition to clinical integration and accountable care, and increasing patient demand.

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