“MHS GENESIS’ patient portal is rapidly increasing in size, capability, and usability.”
“Features gaining in popularity include a health library, provided by corporate partner Healthwise, said Air Force Lt. Col. John DaLomba, solution owner for the MHS GENESIS patient portal, at the Defense Health Agency (DHA) in Falls Church, Virginia.”
“‘People can look up pretty much anything that they want’ such as knee pain or diabetes, he said. ‘It’s really quite good, and quite extensive.’”
“But the portal’s ‘best feature, in my opinion, is the secure messaging,’ said DaLomba, who is also an occupational therapist. ‘You can exchange secure information with your provider or provider’s team, and all the communication takes place within the electronic health record program. You have exactly what was conveyed – there’s no opportunity to misconstrue what was typed in.’”
“Older MHS GENESIS communication systems were limited to a member’s primary care physician. The new portal system allows communication with an empaneled provider or specialty clinic and their teams of professionals with authorized access. That last part is important so that communications go to a “message pool,” and don’t just sit unopened in an inbox if a provider is unavailable.”
“The tool allows communication with certain civilian health care professionals, too, and decreases the need to use a fax machine, DaLomba said. He added that there are more new features coming for the patient portal but couldn’t give an exact timeline because of the need to work out licensing and acquisition periods…”
“The patient portal, though mobile friendly for iOS and Android, does not yet have an app to accompany it. DaLomba said an app is under discussion at the moment.”
“The improvements come on the heels of MHS GENESIS’s new “MassVax” program, a large digital record of COVID-19 vaccinations administered to service members and their families that will more accurately track and ensure that the Department of Defense patient population has received COVID-19 vaccinations.” Read the full article here.
Source: MHS GENESIS Patient Portal expands new features — April 5, 2021. Military Health System.
