PAMFOnline Users Highly Satisfied With Service

July/August 2005

Since it was first introduced, PAMFOnline has received numerous accolades from patients and health care providers for its innovation, convenience and ease of use, and this year is no exception. According to the PAMFOnline 2005 Customer Satisfaction Survey, 88 percent of basic users and 96 percent of messaging subscribers are satisfied with the service, up from 86 percent and 93 percent, respectively, last year. PAMFOnline users gave the e-health service high praise, saying it is a "wonderful service" and an "amazing patient resource" that is an "invaluable tool for managing health care."

The sentiment is echoed by PAMF physicians. "PAMFOnline improves my ability to communicate with my patients and provides an efficient, secure and accessible medium that helps me manage their health care needs in a more dynamic and effective way," said Salwan AbiEzzi, M.D., an internal medicine physician at the Palo Alto Clinic.

PAMFOnline users reported being most satisfied with the following features: viewing test results, electronic health records and upcoming appointments. The survey also found that PAMFOnline saves users time, both on the phone and at PAMF, and has made them more active participants in their health care. Users are also very satisfied with the security and confidentiality of the service, according to the survey.

"The convenience of being able to manage health care issues at any time or place, from work, home or while traveling, is of great benefit to our patients," said Barbara Love, project manager for PAMFOnline.

"We are constantly adding new features and refining the service based on our customers' feedback," added Love. "We are not resting on our laurels. Despite the high marks, we know we can always do better."

Last fall, PAMFOnline rolled out the "Proxy Access" program, which allows spouses, adult children, legal guardians, conservators and other caregivers to access the PAMFOnline record of adults for whom they are overseeing health care. Currently, there is a pilot program underway that allows parents or legal guardians proxy access to help manage the care of their children under 10 years of age. PAMFOnline anticipates launching the "Child Proxy" program toward the end of the year.

While the survey showed PAMFOnline users already recognize its value and convenience, the e-health service is also drawing the attention and praise of national policymakers.

In May, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike O. Leavitt toured PAMF to see first-hand how doctors are using electronic health records (EHRs) to improve patient care, including using services such as PAMFOnline to allow patients to manage their care electronically. (As a leader in health information technology, PAMF has been using EHRs since 1999.)

"Distance, in essence, doesn't exist because of PAMFOnline," said Keith Belcher, a PAMFOnline user who lives in Oregon and whose physician, Dr. Teresa Nauenberg, helps manage his care online. "Dr. Nauenberg manages my care remotely from Palo Alto."

For more information about PAMFOnline or to enroll, please visit https://mychart.sutterhealth.org/pamf/.
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