Answer :
Final answer:
The assertion that patient portals are increasingly common due to meaningful use requirements is true. Patient portals have become essential for sharing digital records and improving health care quality and costs, while respecting the process of obtaining fully informed consent.
Explanation:
The statement that patient portals are more present than ever in medical offices because of the meaningful use requirement is true. The meaningful use criteria, established by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, encourage health care providers to adopt electronic health records (EHR) and utilize them to improve patient care. This includes providing patients with electronic access to their health information through online patient portals. As health providers aim to meet meaningful use standards, there has been a significant increase in the adoption and advancement of patient portals.
Furthermore, the integration of patient portals contributes to a more seamless sharing of digital records among health care providers. This targeted sharing aims to improve the quality and reduce the cost of health care services. Fully informed consent is an essential process wherein patients are educated about the risks and benefits of treatments or studies, and their consent is obtained, enhancing the ethical transparency in patient care and research.
