Basic HTML Version
TECHNOLOGY
By Kim Anderson
HAVE YOU EVER WISHED YOU COULD JUST
email your doctor a quick question or contact his office
after hours to let him know you need a prescription
reauthorized? Well, here is good news! Recently, many
area physicians began using NextMD, an online product
which allows patients and physicians to send each other
secure messages.
Unlike regular email, which may or may not be secure,
NextMD has powerful safeguards in place to protect
patient privacy. No health information is sent via regular
email. Instead, when a physician loads a message for
the patient into NextMD, it generates a regular email
message letting the patient know a secure message is
awaiting him or her on the NextMD site.
The patient simply uses his or her own unique user-
name and password to log into NextMD to view the
physician’s message.
NextMD
C O N N E C T I N G P A T I E N T S
A N D P H Y S I C I A N S
B E N E F I T I N G B O T H S I D E S
Kootenai Family Care physician Chad Scarola, M.D.,
recently began using NextMD at his Coeur d’Alene
practice.
“I like NextMD messages better than phone calls,”
Dr. Scarola said. “I can reply when it is convenient, and
the messages are automatically attached to the patient’s
chart. Patients like it too because it’s easier than calling,
leaving a message and waiting for a call back.”
Innovations like NextMD are being driven in part
by the Health Information Technology for Economic
and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009. HITECH
is designed to encourage health care providers to use
electronic medical records and provide patients easier
access to their own health information. It also doesn’t
hurt that patients and physicians both appreciate the
convenience electronic medical records provide.
“Patients can request an appointment, view their lab
results or just ask a question,” Dr. Scarola said. “It’s a
great way to communicate.”
I S Y O U R D O C T O R O N L I N E ?
Interested in connecting with your physician
electronically? Ask if he or she uses NextMD
or another patient portal.
A PORTAL
TO BETTER
HEALTH CARE
Products like NextMD are often referred
to as “patient portals.” The central
feature of all patient portals is the ability
to share personal health information
securely over the Internet. Patient portals
benefit both patients and providers by
increasing efficiency and productivity.
For example, with NextMD you can
securely connect with your doctor’s office
over the Internet to:
• Request appointments
• Request medication refills
• Send secure messages
• Receive lab results
• View current medications
20