 |
ONLINE HEALTH
Patient health portals are an excellent way for patients to have access to their own health information anytime, anywhere using the internet. Health portals store patient information such as lab results, immunizations, allergies, discharge instructions, medications, and recent doctor visits.
Some portals even allow you to update your information, check benefits, request medication refills, exchange emails with health care providers, make payments and schedule appointments.
Having access to health information such as lab results and medications can empower you as a patient. It can help your providers offer you more informed and quality care. It is a great tool for you and your provider to be informed of all of your healthcare information.
It is a good idea to keep all of your health information in one place, especially if you are seeing multiple providers. Personal health records are a place to store all your health information electronically, then you can control who has access to this information. This is often information you enter yourself or upload your health documents.
It is important to know that personal health records are not your official health record and not considered legal records. This means it is not protected by HIPPA. When choosing a personal health record, research who has access to the information, is the information going to be sold, can the information be used for benefit coverage or employment decisions, can the user control who sees and shares the information,and who has rights to the collected information?
|
Monday, October 31, 2016
Health records and patient portals
Computer information
As technology is evolving, it is playing a large part in healthcare. To take advantage of the many resources available, you may need to learn a few basic computer terms.
Hardware:
The physical computer parts of the computer, such as: keyboard, monitor, mouse, motherboard, hard drive....basically the parts of the computer you can physically touch.
Software:
programs on the computer that make it run
Operating system:
Is a specific software program that allows the hardware to communicate with the software on the computer.
Internet service providers:
Computers all around the world can be connected to each other, this is known as the internet. To access the internet you need an internet service provider. This is the company that will provide the service to access the internet
Wireless access:
Wireless access allows connection to the internet wirelessly. For instance, the ability to connect to the internet on your laptop or smartphone. This is a connection between a wired and wireless network. To set up a wireless network in your home, you need a box, an access point that is connected to wires. This box uses radio frequencies.
Web browsers:
A web browser is software on your computer that allows you to search the internet. Searching words on the browser will link you to websites that contain the information you searched.
RAM:
RAM refers to "Random Access Memory" . This allows your computer to temporarily save information on your computer.
the Cloud:
The cloud is the ability to retrieve information that is not stored on your computer, but stored online.
Hardware:
The physical computer parts of the computer, such as: keyboard, monitor, mouse, motherboard, hard drive....basically the parts of the computer you can physically touch.
Software:
programs on the computer that make it run
Operating system:
Is a specific software program that allows the hardware to communicate with the software on the computer.
Internet service providers:
Computers all around the world can be connected to each other, this is known as the internet. To access the internet you need an internet service provider. This is the company that will provide the service to access the internet
Wireless access:
Wireless access allows connection to the internet wirelessly. For instance, the ability to connect to the internet on your laptop or smartphone. This is a connection between a wired and wireless network. To set up a wireless network in your home, you need a box, an access point that is connected to wires. This box uses radio frequencies.
Web browsers:
A web browser is software on your computer that allows you to search the internet. Searching words on the browser will link you to websites that contain the information you searched.
RAM:
RAM refers to "Random Access Memory" . This allows your computer to temporarily save information on your computer.
the Cloud:
The cloud is the ability to retrieve information that is not stored on your computer, but stored online.
Friday, October 28, 2016
Selecting health websites and apps
 |
YOUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT
KNOW YOUR SOURCES
|
There is an abundance of information on the internet. Some of the information found may not be relevant, reliable or unbiased. It is important to know if the information trustworthy. There are a few tips to help determine if the health website or App is trustworthy:
WHO: Who runs the website ? Who pays for the website? (look in the about section on the websites page) Is the website selling something? Is it sponsored by an organization that has biased opinions or views? Who reviews the information? Are credentialed people reviewing the information for accuracy?
WHAT: What is the purpose of the site? Are the claims unrealistic?
WHEN: When was the information last updated? Is the information on the website reviewed and updated on a regular basis?
WHERE: Where is the information on the website coming from? Is the information based on scientific evidence? Is there a clear distinction between advice/opinions and evidence based information? Are medical journals referenced?
Some great places to start searching for accurate health information is:
Medline Plus
https://www.medlineplus.gov/
Healthfinder.gov
https://healthfinder.gov/
kidshealth.org
https://kidshealth.org/
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Virtual support groups
Online support groups are online communities where people with commonalities can offer support to each other. Virtual support groups allow members to ask questions, share experiences support one another in their commonality. Online support groups can be a great resource for people with similar health conditions to come together and offer resources and support to one another.
While most online support groups are closed groups, meaning only members of the group can see the information being shared, it is important to address safety and confidentiality concerns. Many closed online support groups stress to members to maintain strict confidentiality conduct, there are limited resources to enforce this. Be aware that the information shared in online forums is not guaranteed to remain confidential.
The administrators of the support groups can screen who they allow to be a member of the group. While administrators do their best to only allow those who satisfy the requirements of the group, there is always the possibility that someone may be accepted into the group that has malicious intentions, does not share the commonality to the rest of the group, or has a ulterior motives.
As part of the Down syndrome community, these are the virtual support groups recommended:
Down syndrome families in Utah
https://www.facebook.com/groups/100603996666165/
Utah Down syndrome foundation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/30020936312/
Inclusion for children with Down syndrome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/inclusiondownsyndrome/
United Angels Foundation
https://www.facebook.com/UnitedAngelsFoundation
While most online support groups are closed groups, meaning only members of the group can see the information being shared, it is important to address safety and confidentiality concerns. Many closed online support groups stress to members to maintain strict confidentiality conduct, there are limited resources to enforce this. Be aware that the information shared in online forums is not guaranteed to remain confidential.
The administrators of the support groups can screen who they allow to be a member of the group. While administrators do their best to only allow those who satisfy the requirements of the group, there is always the possibility that someone may be accepted into the group that has malicious intentions, does not share the commonality to the rest of the group, or has a ulterior motives.
As part of the Down syndrome community, these are the virtual support groups recommended:
Down syndrome families in Utah
https://www.facebook.com/groups/100603996666165/
Utah Down syndrome foundation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/30020936312/
Inclusion for children with Down syndrome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/inclusiondownsyndrome/
United Angels Foundation
https://www.facebook.com/UnitedAngelsFoundation
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)