Quillen ETSU Physicians to Launch FollowMyHealth Patient Portal

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn., Sept. 25 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news:

In order to comply with parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - more commonly known as Obamacare - physicians nationally are adopting electronic health records (EHRs) and participating in federal incentive programs to fund the implementation.

Giving patients electronic access to their health records and helping them become more involved in the management of their healthcare is one outcome that these programs hope to attain.

As an early participant in the Meaningful Use incentive program, which requires that patients be offered electronic access to their medical information, Quillen ETSU Physicians will be offering its patients a new online tool that provides 24-hour access to their personal health records. With the new patient portal, patients can manage their health, communicate with their providers and make more informed decisions about their care from any computer, smartphone or tablet.

"In an era of electronic messaging and communication, a patient portal will allow the patient unfettered access to their health information," said Dr. T. Watson Jernigan, associate dean for Clinical Affairs for East Tennessee State University's Quillen College Medicine. "This access will allow the patient and the healthcare team the ability to develop better individual healthcare. It will also allow for the improved health of our communities and regional population."

Quillen ETSU Physicians is one of several groups in the Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia regions to offer the FollowMyHealth patient portal. As regional providers begin to provide the service, patients will have the added benefit of being able to combine their medical records into one portal site. State of Franklin Healthcare Associates and Mountain States Medical Group are two other multispecialty physician groups who have plans to offer FollowMyHealth in the future.

"Of all of the changes related to healthcare reform that we've been asked to implement, we think the addition of the FollowMyHealth patient portal will be one of the most beneficial implementations that we've made," said Monaco Briggs, administrator for Quillen ETSU Physicians. "The portal engages the patient and allows the patient to take control of their health."

Patients who enroll in the FollowMyHealth patient portal will be able to:

* Review medical records online in a safe, secure environment

* Communicate privately with the physician's office or their healthcare team

* View test and lab results

* Update health information (allergies, medications, conditions, etc.)

* Request medication refills

* Receive email care reminders

* Request, reschedule or cancel appointments

* Create proxy accounts for children or dependent adults

As Briggs explained, the FollowMyHealth product is user friendly for the patient and offers many benefits for enrollees.

"Patients save time. They can avoid waiting on hold to speak to staff or schedule appointments," Briggs said. "Patients are offered more choice and more convenience. Patients can communicate on their own time."

Patients can also set and track goals.

Quillen ETSU Physicians plans to launch the FollowMyHealth patient portal Monday, Sept. 29. On and after that date, patients who are seen in one of the Quillen ETSU Physicians offices will be offered access to the portal. For patients who elect to sign up for the free portal account, an email will be sent to them with registration instructions.

For more information, please visit www.etsuphysicians.com or call Bridget Garland at 423-483-1015.

Quillen ETSU Physicians is a multispecialty group affiliated with the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University. The group is comprised of more than 150 doctors in more than 30 specialties and subspecialties including internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, fertility and women's services, cardiology, surgery, psychiatry, geriatrics, dermatology and endocrinology. Offices are located in Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol and surrounding areas.

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