Answer :
Final answer:
The statement is true; scheduling appointments is a critical feature of patient portals, enabling convenient appointment setting for patients and reducing administrative tasks.
Explanation:
The statement that scheduling appointments is a required functionality for a patient portal is true. Patient portals are increasingly an essential aspect of healthcare management systems, designed to improve the convenience and efficiency of patient-doctor interactions. One of their fundamental features is to allow patients to schedule appointments with their healthcare providers online, without the need for phone calls or in-person visits.
Having a scheduling function in a patient portal provides patients with greater control over their health care management and is considered a standard feature for modern medical practices. It helps to streamline the appointment-making process, reducing administrative workload for clinic staff and improving the overall patient experience.
Therefore, patient portals without this functionality would lack a critical component that defines their utility and effectiveness in facilitating healthcare services and communications.
