Patients Connect with Physician for Diagnosis of Basic Illnesses
ThedaCare patients have a new option when they are sick – an electronic or e-visit with their primary care physician.
During an e-Visit, patients log on to their MyThedaCare private web account, select what they want to be “seen” for, and answer several questions specific to their ailment. Patients can use an e-Visit for the following conditions: acne, pinkeye, diaper rash, influenza, lice, seasonal and environmental allergies, upper respiratory/sinus illness, urinary tract infections, stomach flu and vaginal yeast infections. Within two hours, they’ll get a response from their physician through MyThedaCare, including a plan of care and a prescription if needed.
ThedaCare developed its e-Visit to increase patient convenience and lower costs, said Nathan Grunwald, MD, a family medicine physician at ThedaCare Physicians-Menasha. An e-Visit costs $35, which is less than a visit to a clinic or FastCare.
“When you’re not feeling well, you may not want to sit in an office and risk getting others sick,” he said. “With e-Visit, we increase access for our patients and make it easier for them to be ‘seen’ by their doctor.”
Dr. Grunwald said physicians can access the patient’s electronic medical record to review current prescriptions and drug allergies as well as past history. The physician also enters information about the e-Visit into the record. The service is available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“What sets the ThedaCare e-Visit apart from the other similar options out there is that it’s a ThedaCare provider responding to the request,” he said. “Best practices tell us that it’s ideal if the patient’s primary care team is the one responding to the e-Visit. There’s a history there that the physician can rely on.”
While a response is guaranteed within two hours, Dr. Grunwald said since e-Visits were launched last May that the average response time has been 30 minutes.
“We’ve had patients of all ages using e-Visit and it’s been very successful,” he said. “It provides a lower cost alternative to a regular office visit and is more convenient for patients.”
e-Visits are available to ThedaCare patients who have a primary care physician. If current patients do not have a MyThedaCare account, they can contact their physician’s office and get an access code to set up the secure account. MyThedaCare allows patients for free to send messages to their doctor’s office, request prescription refills, schedule appointments, view test results and access their medical history.
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare™ has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 6,800 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 35 clinics in 14 counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. Construction of ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton is underway. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
