The focus on engaging patients in their care and the need to meet meaningful use requirements converge in one online tool: the patient portal. Patient portals on a health system's website can allow patient to easily schedule appointments, contact their provider and access other resources, which engages them in their care. These portals also help hospitals and physicians fulfill meaningful use stage 2 requirements of providing patients the ability to view their health information online and using electronic health records to identify patient-specific education resources.

Healthcare providers are utilizing a variety of approaches to engage patients with health information technology, according to the "Consumer Engagement with Health Information Technology Survey" conducted by the National eHealth Collaborative.