Patient Portals are online websites managed by your doctor or healthcare provider. They provide a useful way for you to view your own health records, communicate with your doctor or healthcare provider, and often times to make and manage appointments as well.
In the United States, doctors are required to provide electronic access to their patients to view and download their health records. Most healthcare providers now offer Patient Portals in order to enable this access. Your doctor controls how, when and what information is pushed to the Portal.