If your front desk feels stretched thin, you’re not imagining it. Between ringing phones, paper forms, and last-minute cancellations, your team spends far too much time on tasks that a good patient portal app could handle on its own.
And patients notice too. They want to book, message, and check results from their smartphones, much like they do everything else in our modern world.
The numbers back this up. According to HealthIT.gov, app-based access to online medical records climbed from 38% in 2020 to 57% in 2024. That’s a big shift in just four years, and it tells us one thing clearly: patients now expect digital access to their care.
As part of our patient portal series, this article examines the real operational cost of running an outdated patient portal, and how a modern portal solution can become your greatest asset. We’re also excited to share that DrChrono by EverHealth has redesigned its OnPatient experience.
The OnPatient portal users already trust now includes modern functionality that delivers measurable results: reduced phone volume, streamlined intake, better communication, and stronger patient participation. And it’s all included at no added cost.
Key Takeaways
- Outdated portals cost you time and money. Manual calls, paper intake, and no-shows drain staff hours and slow down your day.
- Patients now expect digital access. Patient portal use has grown fast, and a modern patient portal app meets that expectation.
- OnPatient has been rebuilt. DrChrono’s redesigned patient portal is native for iOS, Android, and web, with a single shared backend.
- Real operational wins. Streamlined intake, secure messaging, and self-service scheduling reduce administrative burden.
The Operational Cost of an Outdated or Missing Patient Portal
Your staff answers call after call about appointment times, refill requests, and simple questions that a self-service tool could resolve in seconds. Then there are the no-shows, the kind that automated reminders would have prevented.
And every day, patients arrive to fill out paper forms on a clipboard, which digital intake forms could fix instantly.
Each of these is more than a minor hassle. Together, they create a real efficiency problem. Paper intake slows down rooming. Manual data entry invites errors. Missed appointments leave gaps in your schedule you can’t fill.
This isn’t only about patient convenience, though that matters too. It’s about how smoothly your practice runs. And the truth is, patients already expect a better experience. Portal adoption has nearly tripled since 2014, and 65% of U.S. healthcare users accessed a patient portal in 2024.
A few reasons for this rise can be tied to patient preferences. For example, a Michigan University poll found that older patients (50-80) prefer an online portal over a phone call for:
- Getting test results (79%)
- Updating contact or insurance information (65%)
- Authorizing others to access medical records (61%)
- Requesting transfer of medical records to other providers (52%)
- Requesting prescription refills (51%)
Bottom line: When your patient portal software is outdated, or the software falls short, patients feel it, and so does your team.
RELATED CONTENT: What Patients Expect From Modern Healthcare Apps
Why Phone Volume Is a Symptom of Patient Portal Gaps
High call volume is easy to accept as “just part of the job.” But it’s usually a signal. When patients call to schedule, request refills, or ask basic questions, it often means they don’t have, or don’t use, a self-service channel that actually works.
According to the Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, phone-related bottlenecks and administrative friction remain a primary operational drag on practice efficiency. Think about what that costs you.
Your staff spends a chunk of every day answering questions patients could easily resolve on their own. That’s time pulled away from in-office patients, clinical support, and the work that truly needs a human touch.
A capable patient portal app takes those routine requests off the phone and puts them back in the patient’s hands.
Introducing the New OnPatient Experience
DrChrono by EverHealth has redesigned its OnPatient experience to meet the needs of today’s modern practice. The OnPatient portal is a HIPAA-compliant digital front door that connects patients to their practice across the entire care journey, from pre-visit intake through post-visit follow-up.
The OnPatient app has been rebuilt natively for iOS, Android, and web, all running on a single shared backend. That means a consistent experience no matter how your patients log in.
OnPatient also integrates directly into DrChrono’s Message Center and Scheduling systems. Everything flows into the tools your team already uses, so there’s no juggling between disconnected platforms.
What’s New in This Release
This upgrade brings meaningful improvements to the OnPatient portal you know. Here’s what you and your patients can look forward to:
- Modern, mobile-first design that stays consistent across web and native iOS and Android apps.
- Enhanced vitals and lab result views that are easier to read and track over time.
- Digital intake forms redesigned to be simple to complete before the visit.
- Health education content surfaced directly in the patient profile.
- Smarter appointment scheduling that respects each practice’s configured appointment profiles.
Each of these was designed with a single goal: make the experience easier for your patients while lightening the load on your staff.
RELATED CONTENT: Streamlining the Transition to New Patient Portal Software
Streamlined Intake Before the Visit
Picture a patient completing consent and intake forms from their couch the night before an appointment. No waiting room delay or rushed paperwork at the front desk, meaning their appointment experience is frictionless.
That’s exactly how OnPatient works. Patients complete digital consent and intake forms on their phone or computer before they arrive, and that information flows directly into the DrChrono chart automatically. No scanning. No manual data entry. No clipboard to hand back.
The payoff is immediate. Rooming gets faster because the information is already there. Your front desk handles less busy work. And patients start their visit feeling like the practice values their time.
Secure Messaging and Scheduling Without Added Staff Time
Sometimes a patient just needs a quick answer. With OnPatient, they don’t have to pick up the phone. It also gives your staff a chance to breathe.
OnPatient offers HIPAA-compliant, two-way messaging, now with threaded conversations to keep everything organized. Patients and providers can communicate directly, and every message is stored right in the DrChrono patient record. That gives your entire care team full visibility, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Scheduling works the same way. Patients can book, confirm, and cancel appointments on their own, which reduces staff-handled requests. Fewer phone calls, less back-and-forth, and more time for the work that matters most.
Faster Payments, Better Patient Health Access
Getting paid shouldn’t be drawn out. The solution? A patient portal app with integrated payments. OnPatient integrates with DrChrono’s billing workflow, allowing patients to review balances and make payments directly in-product. Resulting in you getting paid faster.
With integrated online bill pay, patients can settle outstanding balances as soon as they receive their visit summary. That reduces accounts receivable lag and takes collection work off your front desk.
At the same time, OnPatient keeps patients connected to their health between visits. They can easily access lab results, visit summaries, and care plans whenever they need them.
When patients can see their own progress and understand their care, they stay more informed and more engaged. According to Brown University Health, this engagement leads to better preventative health behaviors and improved adherence and management of chronic conditions. That’s the heart of true patient engagement.
Included at No Additional Cost, Activated in Minutes
If you’re a current DrChrono user, OnPatient is included in every subscription at no added cost. You can enable it right from Practice Settings in minutes. There’s no separate installation, no IT project, and no data migration to worry about.
And if you’re currently paying for a separate patient engagement tool, this is worth a closer look. Consolidating into OnPatient can eliminate that extra expense while bringing everything into one connected platform.
Bottom line: outdated or missing patient portals quietly cost your practice time, money, and patient goodwill. The redesigned OnPatient solution tackles those costs head-on with streamlined intake, secure messaging, self-service scheduling, and faster payments.
This upgrade also reflects DrChrono’s commitment to patient-centered care technology, strengthening provider confidence in the platform and deepening patient engagement with their own health.
Want to learn more about how OnPatient delivers a best-in-class patient engagement experience? Contact DrChrono and request a demo today!
Frequently Asked Questions: OnPatient and Patient Engagement
What is OnPatient?
OnPatient is DrChrono’s redesigned patient portal software. It’s a HIPAA-compliant patient portal app that connects patients to your practice across the full care journey, from pre-visit intake through post-visit follow-up. Patients use it to complete forms, message their care team, schedule appointments, view results, and pay bills.
Is OnPatient included with my DrChrono subscription, or is it an add-on?
OnPatient is included in every DrChrono subscription at no additional cost. It’s not an add-on, so you get the full patient portal software as part of your existing plan.
Does OnPatient work on mobile devices?
Yes. OnPatient has been rebuilt natively for iOS and Android, along with web access. Whether your patients prefer a phone, tablet, or computer, they get a consistent, mobile-first experience.
Is OnPatient HIPAA-compliant?
Yes. OnPatient is a HIPAA-compliant patient portal. All messaging, record sharing, and data transmission within OnPatient meet HIPAA requirements for PHI handling. DrChrono maintains security controls, audit logging, and a documented disaster recovery plan.
How do patients get access to OnPatient?
Once you enable OnPatient in Practice Settings, patients can be invited to create their account and log in. From there, they can access their records, message your team, schedule appointments, and more, all from one place.
Will my current OnPatient login still work with the new experience?
Yes. Existing OnPatient logins carry over to the new experience. Your patients can continue using their current credentials while enjoying the upgraded, modernized portal.
