Patientend

Patientend is a term used in health informatics to describe the patient-facing end of health information systems. It refers to the interfaces, data flows, and processes through which patients interact with their health information, services, and care teams, as distinct from the provider-facing or administrative components of the same system. The term is a blend of patient and end, and is employed primarily in discussions about user experience, data governance, and patient engagement.

In practice, patientend encompasses patient-facing portals and apps, the presentation of medical records in an accessible format, the collection of patient-reported data, consent and privacy controls, and the mechanisms by which patients communicate with clinicians. It also includes educational content, appointment management, and secure messaging. The concept emphasizes patient autonomy, health literacy, and inclusive design.

Applications include electronic health records that offer patient portals, mobile health applications for symptom tracking, and tools for shared decision-making. Data generated at the patientend can feed back into the clinical record and support outcome measurement and population health initiatives.

Critics note that patientend is not yet widely standardized and may be redundantly described by terms such as patient-facing or patient-centered design. Some caution that the term could be confused with other uses of “end,” such as end-to-end security, which is unrelated.

See also: patient portal, patient-facing design, patient-centered care, health informatics, patient-reported outcomes.