Using Patient Portal to Rightsize a Practice

“At this point, we have 75% of our appointments being made by patients on the Portal, as opposed to calling or walking in. So only one out of four patients needs any type of assistance with an appointment in my office. Three out of four are doing it themselves, as opposed to a traditional office, where most appointments are brokered through the help — or hindrance — of a receptionist or medical assistant.”
Dr. S. Mark McNeill, Founder, Trillium Family Medicine

Practice Info

  • Trillium Family Medicine
  • Size: Single provider, 1,000+ patients
  • Location: Asheville, North Carolina
  • Specialty: Family medicine
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Problem

At a time when doctors are being asked to do more with less, a solo practitioner in North Carolina sought to use healthcare IT to actually reduce his overall patient panel and costs, while improving the quality of care and patient satisfaction.

Solution

Trillium Family Medicine trained its patients to use eClinicalWorks Patient Portal, used a standard deviation calculation to rightsize its schedule, and maximized use of pre-appointment questionnaires to transform its practice.

Results

By implementing eClinicalWorks technology and training his patients to be true partners in their health care, Dr. S. Mark McNeill was able to reduce his patient load by 50%, avoided the costs of hiring additional staff, and began to enjoy the practice of medicine more through developing patient relationships more fully.

About Trillium Family Medicine

As founder of and sole practitioner at Trillium Family Medicine, Dr. S. Mark McNeill has transformed his practice with eClinicalWorks’ Patient Portal. About 75% of Trillium’s patients book appointments online, providing assurance they will be seen in a timely fashion, and allowing Dr. McNeill to reduce his caseload while increasing quality care, including taking his own after-hours calls. The result is less stress for patients and a physician for whom medicine is once again engaging and enjoyable.