- Burnett School College of Medicine UCF Health
UCF Health has launched a new web-based portal, an easy, secure way for patients to communicate with the medical staff, view prescriptions and verify appointments. And on April 18, the first day the portal was available, more than half the patients seen in the clinic that day registered for access.
“The launch of the patient portal is a milestone for our practice because we strive to provide healthcare in a way that fits our patients’ busy lives,” said Dr. Leonardo Oliveira, assistant professor at the UCF College of Medicine, who is board-certified in sports medicine and internal medicine. Dr. Oliveira also serves as director of quality and safety at UCF Health, the College of Medicine’s physician practice.
For those comfortable with technology, the portal, called IQ Health, eliminates the need for multiple phone calls back and forth with the practice, as well as cuts unnecessary wait times to get information. It also alerts patients when it’s time for preventative care measures like annual physical exams and cancer screenings.
“Patients who manage their lives electronically are very happy about the time savings the portal will provide,” Dr. Oliveira said. Patients can check appointment times and send messages to their physician from their computers or portable devices at their convenience–even while standing in line at the grocery store or during the middle of the night. And soon, patients will be able to view test results on the portal rather than waiting for days to receive notification by mail or a call from the clinic. In addition, with proper patient approval, family members assisting in the care of their loved ones will have the ability to monitor their loved one’s medical information on the portal.
The portal is available to all UCF Health patients. However, there is no obligation for patients to utilize this technology. If that’s the case, nothing about the way they currently interact with the practice will change.
Patients wishing to access the portal are asked to complete a simple application (name, email and signature) during their next office visit, and then will receive an email invitation to complete the registration process online. In just minutes, the personalized UCF Health patient portal is set up so patients can use it 24-7 in the privacy of their homes or offices. Portal access can be found in the upper right hand corner of the UCF Health home page.
IQ Health is powered by Cerner Health, which handles electronic records for UCF Health, the College of Medicine physician practice. The technology is HIPAA compliant, so users can log on with confidence that their health and personal information is fully protected and backed up.