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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=120 BGCOLOR="#FFCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04b3f781egdyul.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="BernhardFashion BT" ><B>3PO   Putting Physician Practices Online</B></FONT> <B> </B><B>|    </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3PO Putting Physician Practices Online"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U>About Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News and Events"><U>News and Events</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Location"><U>Location</U></A>   |   FAQ   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="References"><U>References</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services"><U>Our Products and Services</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=190 BGCOLOR="#CCFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="07396710.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="113" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=328 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> FAQ</div> <div> PATIENTS TRUST PHYSICIANS MOST WITH ONLINE MEDICAL RECORDS A study by the Web research company Cyber Dialogue reveals that the overwhelming majority of patients would trust physicians to access and place their medical information online. Of U.S. adults surveyed, 87% said doctors should have access to online medical records, and 90% said that they should, with permission, be able to place information into medical records. The study also showed that far fewer patients trust hospitals with managing online medical records. Only about 56% of U.S. adults say hospitals should have access to medical records online and less than half say hospital staff should be able place information in medical records. Overall, while 75% of e-health consumers are willing to use the Internet to manage their health, less than half of those polled say they are skeptical about the security of online medical information.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> PEW NET STUDY: HEALTH INFO MORE POPULAR THAN STOCKS OR SHOPPING More Americans are now surfing the Web for medical information than for sports scores, stock quotes, or shopping. That's according to a new survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The in-depth poll of 12,000 adults found that 55% of Web users have searched for health information online, versus 47% who have used websites for shopping. The study, called "The Online Health Care Revolution: How the Web Helps Americans Take Better Care of Themselves," indicates that among those seeking health info online, 92% said the results of their searches were useful, 81% said they learned something new, and 47% said that the data influenced their healthcare decisions. To find medical information, most surfers use "scattershot searching activity," without help from advertising, physicians, friends, or family. The full text of the survey, including the full survey questions, is available at pewinternet.org.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> MEDICAL GROUPS PUSH GUIDELINES FOR DOC-PATIENT ONLINE INTERACTION Thirteen of the nation's medical societies, including the AMA, are promoting guidelines for online communications between doctors and patients. The medical societies include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Preventive Medicines, and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The guidelines, according to the executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics, are designed to help physicians communicate online while also protecting patient privacy. They include recommendations that Internet communications should not be used during emergency situations and that physicians take responsibility for performing telemedicine in a medically and ethically appropriate manner. Officials with Medem, a patient-physician e-health network founded by the AMA and other medical societies, also contributed to the development of the guidelines.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> PILOT STUDY OF PDA PRESCRIBING WINS PRAISE FROM PHYSICIANS A pilot project studying the benefits of wireless prescribing via a PDA is receiving high marks from participating physicians. The study was developed with the participation of AdvancePCS, ePocrates, and ConnectiCare. The project was designed to test whether e-prescribing via PDAs would improve care, manage drug costs, and reduce work-flow inefficiencies. More than 80% of the 100 plus ConnectiCare doctors in the project called it valuable or very valuable, according to post-pilot findings. The doctors used Palm Vx handheld organizers equipped with ePocrates' qRx software to access drug reference and formulary information as they treated patients. Significant efficiency improvements were cited in helping the doctors make better prescribing decisions, according to AdvancePCS, the pharmacy benefit management company that sponsored the pilot. According to the report, doctors were able to access the majority of regional formularies and thereby reduce the need to clarify or revise prescriptions. Electronic refill prescribing was not part of this pilot, but AdvancePCS says it expects physicians will be interested in that feature in the future.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CANADIAN DOCS WARY OF WEB, BUT STILL READY TO USE IT IN PRACTICE Seven out of ten Canadian doctors report that patients are showing up for appointments armed with medical information obtained from the Internet. That's according to a recent study of 417 physicians conducted by Ipsos-Reid for the Canadian publication The Medical Post. The survey indicates that Canadian doctors are wary of medical information on the Net. Ninety-one percent said they were "somewhat suspicious" of the information. Twenty-four percent felt their patients' use of the Internet for health information caused more harm than good. But, while physicians in Canada are skeptical of the benefit of health information on the Web, many are willing to use Web-based technology in their practices. In fact, 62% of those surveyed said that within five years they will be regularly exchanging patient information -- such as X-rays and MRIs -- with other healthcare professionals over the Internet.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> WEB-BASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE ADDED TO EAP PROGRAM APS Healthcare says it is launching an Internet based self-help program as part of its managed behavioral health services for employers. The Maryland based company says APSHelpLink.com will provide online assistance to employees on issues such as coping, stress, and grieving. The program includes self-assessment tools, interactive self-help exercises, moderated chat rooms, and an "Ask-a-Pro" service. The Web-based service is designed to supplement the traditional Employee Assistance Programs offered to APS clients, including corporate employers, health plans, and unions.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> STUDY SHOWS WEB-BASED CHF DISEASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CUTS COSTS According to a recent study conducted by Tillinghast - Towers Perrin on behalf of PacifiCare of California, Internet-based disease management tools can help improve the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of congestive heart failure treatments. The study focused on a disease management system that allows cardiac nurses to monitor at-home patients' biometric and symptomatic information via the Internet. Towers-Perrin reported that the disease management system, manufactured by Alere Medical Inc., improved the health of CHF patients. Based on the results of the study, PacifiCare, a subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems, says it will partner with Alere to provide online disease management tools for CHF patients and their physicians. The agreement, according to PacifiCare, may impact as many as 5,000 of its members with CHF.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CYBER-CARE EXPORTS TELEHEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM TO CHINA A two-way telehealth system, developed by CYBeR-CARE, is now operating in China and company officials say it will eventually connect thousands of critically ill Chinese to healthcare providers. The live Electronic HouseCall System (EHC) uses the Internet to provide advice, video, and medical diagnostic data transfers. Patient vital signs can be monitored by caregivers in real-time, or collected and stored in a database for later review. During the next four years, CYBeR-CARE says its Asian operating company, Cyber Pacificare, will distribute 64,000 EHC units throughout China, and plans to expand into other parts of Asia. The project, a joint venture with SIIC Medical Science and Technology Group of Hong Kong, will bring healthcare services to areas of China where they were limited or nonexistent.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=32 BGCOLOR="#CCFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> This page last updated 11 February, 2001</div> <div> Copyright 2001 John F. Abess, MD, PA  all rights reserved</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>