17 Comments
Does the health care practice you see for your diabetes care have an online portal where you can message your provider?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
© 2023 T1D Exchange. All Rights Reserved.
I upload my Tnadem/Dexcom devices (they’re integrated) monthly. I send a message to the Endo practice letting them know the data is there. What I especially appreciate about the portal is that with my monthly data dups, I don’t need in-person appts. Saves me a boatload of time and effort. I’ll get a followup phone call appt on occasion, but then they have to do that so that insurance will continue to cover my insulin.
I belong to a hospital network where I have access to all of my doctors through their portal. Occaionally, I message my providers.
I use it I said often but truthfully sometimes a better choice. I get my labs via email from the lab so I always have them to compare to the prior month.
I use my primary’s and endo’s portals very frequently. I message them whenever I have a question or problem. I can check my labs, my chart, pay my bills, etc. it’s very handy and I don’t have to worry about waiting on hold or waiting for an answer.
I rarely, if ever, use the portal to message my provider about a health issue, but I often use it to ask for prescription renewals, schedule visits, check labs, and other routine aspects of my health care.
I have personal Work-Related email addresses for both my endocrinologist and my Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN), but I also have access to an online portal where I can check on appointments, blood test results, etc.
I answered yes, sometimes, but I get better results sending an email to the front desk staff for things like prescription refills.
I can call or send an email to the office.
The nurse practitioner in endocrinoloty is very welcoming toward online messages. She checks my pump history and answers promptly.
Yes my Endo and GP have portals. I have messaged my GP only. I get the blood test results from my Endo’s portal.
In clinic
Yes, MyChart. Up until February of this year I used it frequently, to ask my endo what labs were needed before 90 day appointments. I also used it to send my tconnect data just before our appointments in addition to any questions/subjects I wanted to discuss at the appointment. I also used it to ask my Diabetes Educator pump and sensor issues. In February the business side of the healthcare organization began charging for all staff/patient contact that required access to the patient’s chart. Before any messages are sent to staff I’m required to agree to pay appointment charges. Since my use of the on-line message system requires more than a generic answer, even requesting a prescription renewal can be charged an appointment fee. So far, I haven’t been charged.
I have a personal email for my endo.
My last three END’s worked for the same hospital system so all used MyChart/Epic. The middle doc said they preferred communicating via MyChart, it was even on their on-hold announcement repeatedly asking we send a message instead of waiting in their phone queue. But they had signs all over their office stating patients should ask any questions before leaving, so they didn’t have to use MyChart. My other two docs were/are normal about it; they or their MA or RN get back to me quickly. The only thing I don’t like is the system logs me off quickly, and they recently added 2FI, which is good for security but tiresome if you’re logging in over and over.
I only use it when I feel I have to. I am not comfortable having my medical information online. I feel it is too big a risk, if they get hacked which can happen.
My husband and I are using it increasingly because the nurses do not phone us back in a timely manner, but they do respond quickly to the portal questions and messages. Sometimes I have had to walk into the building and ask to see the nurse without an appointment if the question is urgent.
Getting into the system, fairly easy. Getting ANY response, even their standard non-responsive generic one(s), almost non existent. A precise, detailed question requires some kin of intelligent, meaningful response. Even acknowledging our messages, would offer some kind of false hope(s).