November 9, 2005
Palo Alto Medical Foundation E-Health Service Reaches Milestone
PAMFOnline Enrollment Surpasses 50,000 — One-Third of Patients Now Online
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), Palo Alto Division, achieved another health care technology milestone when its e-health service PAMFOnline surpassed 50,000 subscribers (approximately one-third of PAMF’s adult primary care patient population) this quarter.
PAMFOnline Project Manager Barbara Love attributes the service’s success to its user-friendly format and innovative features.
“We continue to receive positive feedback on PAMFOnline’s unique features such as prescription renewal and the ability to make and track appointments online,” said Love. “Our patients really appreciate the ability to be proactive in their care and comment on how easily accessible their information is.”
The complimentary service, which is offered to all PAMF patients through their primary care departments, allows subscribers to log on to a secure Web site 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world. Patients can use PAMFOnline to view key components of their PAMF electronic health record (EHR), request appointments and prescription renewals, access test results and receive customized health information. For a minimal fee, subscribers can add online messaging that allows them to electronically communicate with their physicians in a secure setting.
“Through PAMFOnline’s secure messaging, patients can send their questions and concerns any time, day or night," said William Black, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of PAMF’s San Mateo County primary care health centers and a member of the PAMFOnline Service Delivery Team. “They don’t have to wait for business hours. That’s the true value of PAMFOnline: the way it empowers our patients.”
Patients benefit the most when they take personal control of their health care, said Dr. Black. By providing patients direct access to their test results, personal health history, and personalized information and instructions, patients can be more proactive in managing their personal health and wellness.
PAMF, which implemented its EHR system in 1999, was one of the earliest adopters of this technology and remains one of the few physician groups in the Bay Area to have adopted such a system. In 2002, PAMF introduced PAMFOnline to patients.
PAMF's Chief Medical Information Officer Paul Tang, M.D., said that the not-for-profit organization has taken extensive measures to ensure its patients’ health information is safe. Confidential patient information stays securely behind a firewall in a state-of-the-art data center that protects the EHR databases from inappropriate physical or electronic access.
"Unlike commercial Web sites that supply stand-alone personal health records, health information stored by a patient's physician group, such as PAMF, must follow strict regulations and adhere to the national Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)," said Dr. Tang. "This ensures that each patient's privacy is respected and their records are secure."
PAMF internal medicine physician Salwan AbiEzzi agrees that his patients are at an advantage.
"I have patients from age 18 to 80 using PAMFOnline," said Dr. AbiEzzi. "Across the board, all of them love it. They see it as a tremendous tool to access their medical information and have closer access to me as their physician. As one of my patients put it, ‘I can’t live without it now.’”
However, the benefits extend beyond the patients.
"Our electronic health record and innovative services are another reason physicians choose to practice at PAMF," said Dr. Black. "They know that our EHR system and PAMFOnline give them the most powerful information tools available to care for their patients."
"It allows me to convey more comprehensive information to my patients regarding their test results, medical treatment recommendations and follow-up care," said Dr. AbiEzzi. "I'm comforted by the fact that I am connected with my patients whether they are at their home down the street or traveling in another country."
For more information about PAMFOnline, visit www.pamfonline.org. For more information about PAMF, visit www.pamf.org.
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