Wellness

[PinkyPetunia]

I don't have a problem with these patient portals.  I get test results quickly this way.

[LilacTree]

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@Trinity11 wrote:

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@LilacTree wrote:

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@Trinity11 wrote:

I have a portal for all of my physicians with test results and I really like that I can renew prescriptions. My upcming appointments are listed and all of my test results from my last hospital stay are available. I can fax results to my other physicians which helps with coordinating my care.

At this point in my life, I don't worry about the security of the information. I just like having access to it.

@LilacTree...hope you are doing well...

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@Trinity11

I'd like to see my reports also.  But even on FB, I have never filled out any of the personal information.

Odd, because I spill my guts here!  Ha Ha

I have another UTI (since you asked).  Doc putting me on amoxicillin even though I had a slight rash 35 years ago from penicillin and haven't taken it since.  No other med will work.  Par for the course.  I'll start with quarter doses.

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I have a UTI that won't go away. 10 days on Bactrim and now keflex. All of it tears up my stomach because of the other meds I have to take. @LilacTree Was your culture typed? My urologist wanted to wait for 4 days to get the result and I told her by then it would be in my kidneys. She gave me the keflex ...she wants me to see an infectitious disease specialist and be admitted to the hospital. The joys of having auto-immune disease...

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@Trinity11

Yes, we get everything that comes down the pike.  It's almost boring.  If the amoxicillin works, I won't have to see the urologist at the end of June . . . hopefully.

Yes, my culture was typed, but she didn't tell me what it was.  She said it's not rare, most of the UTI meds work for most people . . . it's the autoimmune diseases that make them less effective.  What a surprise, right??

I take Azo while I wait for the script.  Have you tried that?  It helps temporarily with the symptoms and can also be taken with the antibiotic (which I probably won't do). 

[noodleann]

I've had questions about security, too. My local hospital offered the option of signing in with Facebook, and the idea of letting Facebook anywhere hear my private medical data (and I don't care that "oh no, it's only for sign-in purposes") was a nonstarter. 

The regular medical facility I use was more tempting, but they've had their "My XXX Health Care" feature for several years and still aren't allowing patients to see labs or tests results online, even when we've gone over them with the physician. I was also warned by a couple of nurses that if you want to make or change an appointment, call. Don't use the "My XXX" function, because the change or appointment might not "stick."

I believe the prior administration in Washington created incentives for the medical practices to get people  signed up on these things, so you'd think they'd have fixed these problems.

BTW, whether you sign up for patient access or not, your records are online, probably in the cloud. The problem with both the practices I use is that they have multiple data sets across each organization that are not shareable between departments, so they're thwarting the efficiences the whole EMR initiative were supposed to create. They're also effectively losing our data, since it's not consolidated in one master file. I've been told lab numbers and test results "live," when the scan readings or results were fresh, and there are no records of them when I ask about them a few months later. It's nuts. Hopefully, these facilities are outliers.

[Trinity11]

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@LilacTree wrote:

---

@Trinity11 wrote:

---

@LilacTree wrote:

---

@Trinity11 wrote:

I have a portal for all of my physicians with test results and I really like that I can renew prescriptions. My upcming appointments are listed and all of my test results from my last hospital stay are available. I can fax results to my other physicians which helps with coordinating my care.

At this point in my life, I don't worry about the security of the information. I just like having access to it.

@LilacTree...hope you are doing well...

---

@Trinity11

I'd like to see my reports also.  But even on FB, I have never filled out any of the personal information.

Odd, because I spill my guts here!  Ha Ha

I have another UTI (since you asked).  Doc putting me on amoxicillin even though I had a slight rash 35 years ago from penicillin and haven't taken it since.  No other med will work.  Par for the course.  I'll start with quarter doses.

---

I have a UTI that won't go away. 10 days on Bactrim and now keflex. All of it tears up my stomach because of the other meds I have to take. @LilacTree Was your culture typed? My urologist wanted to wait for 4 days to get the result and I told her by then it would be in my kidneys. She gave me the keflex ...she wants me to see an infectitious disease specialist and be admitted to the hospital. The joys of having auto-immune disease...

---

@Trinity11

Yes, we get everything that comes down the pike.  It's almost boring.  If the amoxicillin works, I won't have to see the urologist at the end of June . . . hopefully.

Yes, my culture was typed, but she didn't tell me what it was.  She said it's not rare, most of the UTI meds work for most people . . . it's the autoimmune diseases that make them less effective.  What a surprise, right??

I take Azo while I wait for the script.  Have you tried that?  It helps temporarily with the symptoms and can also be taken with the antibiotic (which I probably won't do). 

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@LilacTree Azo doesn't get rid of the bacteria which with my diabetes usually goes to my kidneys quickly. I constantly have klebsiella pneumonia which I was told is a hospital acquired bacteria. This time I got it there when I had the heart attack. No fun that's for sure.

I think our immune system is compromised from the auto-immune illnesses.

Feel better!!

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Yes, and I think they are a great resource.

If the nefarious types out there choose to exploit the information - ?  What's a person to do?  Hide in the bushes?

Best of health, forum buds.

[SilleeMee]

The portal I use is so poorly managed and it needs improvement. Information there is not updated enough. The only good part about it is that I can set up my appointments with it. 

[LilacTree]

---

@Trinity11 wrote:

---

@LilacTree wrote:

---

@Trinity11 wrote:

---

@LilacTree wrote:

---

@Trinity11 wrote:

I have a portal for all of my physicians with test results and I really like that I can renew prescriptions. My upcming appointments are listed and all of my test results from my last hospital stay are available. I can fax results to my other physicians which helps with coordinating my care.

At this point in my life, I don't worry about the security of the information. I just like having access to it.

@LilacTree...hope you are doing well...

---

@Trinity11

I'd like to see my reports also.  But even on FB, I have never filled out any of the personal information.

Odd, because I spill my guts here!  Ha Ha

I have another UTI (since you asked).  Doc putting me on amoxicillin even though I had a slight rash 35 years ago from penicillin and haven't taken it since.  No other med will work.  Par for the course.  I'll start with quarter doses.

---

I have a UTI that won't go away. 10 days on Bactrim and now keflex. All of it tears up my stomach because of the other meds I have to take. @LilacTree Was your culture typed? My urologist wanted to wait for 4 days to get the result and I told her by then it would be in my kidneys. She gave me the keflex ...she wants me to see an infectitious disease specialist and be admitted to the hospital. The joys of having auto-immune disease...

---

@Trinity11

Yes, we get everything that comes down the pike.  It's almost boring.  If the amoxicillin works, I won't have to see the urologist at the end of June . . . hopefully.

Yes, my culture was typed, but she didn't tell me what it was.  She said it's not rare, most of the UTI meds work for most people . . . it's the autoimmune diseases that make them less effective.  What a surprise, right??

I take Azo while I wait for the script.  Have you tried that?  It helps temporarily with the symptoms and can also be taken with the antibiotic (which I probably won't do). 

---

@LilacTree Azo doesn't get rid of the bacteria which with my diabetes usually goes to my kidneys quickly. I constantly have klebsiella pneumonia which I was told is a hospital acquired bacteria. This time I got it there when I had the heart attack. No fun that's for sure.

I think our immune system is compromised from the auto-immune illnesses.

Feel better!!

---

@Trinity11

I worry about that also (kidneys).  So far it seems not to have invaded my kidneys which is odd because I get them all the time.  I know the Azo doesn't kill the bacteria, but it does help with the symptoms (burning, pain).  PCP just called me this morning and the pharmacist said the scrip hasn't come in yet.

You've got a lot going on Trinity.  So far I don't think I have any heart issues other than irregular heartbeats.  And no sign of diabetes at all.  My recent labs (33 tests, 10 vials of blood) didn't show much of anything more than usual (high CRP, sed rate, 226 total cholesterol, abnormal liver enzymes, etc). Fortunately, I also have low normal BP readings. 

The only new thing is this SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth syndrome).  I'm trying to control that with the Fodmap Diet, since I can't afford the med ($900 per month) and Part D insurance doesn't cover it, plus I got sick four days after taking it.  Gastro doc ordered all of that.

Next . . . dermatologist for chronic itching and ugly skin growths everywhere.

Next . . . !!!

You feel better too.  Wish I could say "GREAT" (as said recently by our friend Hckynut John)!!  Wish I had half his positive outlook.

[LilacTree]

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@noodleann wrote:

I've had questions about security, too. My local hospital offered the option of signing in with Facebook, and the idea of letting Facebook anywhere hear my private medical data (and I don't care that "oh no, it's only for sign-in purposes") was a nonstarter. 

The regular medical facility I use was more tempting, but they've had their "My XXX Health Care" feature for several years and still aren't allowing patients to see labs or tests results online, even when we've gone over them with the physician. I was also warned by a couple of nurses that if you want to make or change an appointment, call. Don't use the "My XXX" function, because the change or appointment might not "stick."

I believe the prior administration in Washington created incentives for the medical practices to get people  signed up on these things, so you'd think they'd have fixed these problems.

BTW, whether you sign up for patient access or not, your records are online, probably in the cloud. The problem with both the practices I use is that they have multiple data sets across each organization that are not shareable between departments, so they're thwarting the efficiences the whole EMR initiative were supposed to create. They're also effectively losing our data, since it's not consolidated in one master file. I've been told lab numbers and test results "live," when the scan readings or results were fresh, and there are no records of them when I ask about them a few months later. It's nuts. Hopefully, these facilities are outliers.

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@noodleann

See?  That's what I'm afraid of.  And I would never use Facebook.  I only use FB to post family photos . . . that's it, their only grip on me.  It seems to be all messed up right now anyway.  This guy is trying to control the world if you ask me.

[bonnielu]

Our doctor's staff offered the portal.  I joined.  But he never uses it so the information is not even there... okay perhaps just once. 

But the offices I have visited with portals ... I do believe were not supported and were hacked.  I seem to  have been invited to TRIALS FOR ALL KINDS OF ILLNESSES, mostly not even what I have.... borderline gal and someone jumped all over it and I had to fend off phone calls and letters.  I complained... so much for that.  I was told I HAD TO ISOLATE the source myself and prove it.  The federal govt told me that.  They dismissed my complaint.  So much for Hipaa!

[CatLoverDogsToo]

As soon as the Portal Account became available, I registered. Like another poster, the only thing I hate is that it is another password and user name to remember. I like being able to see my health history, medications, labs and recommended follow-ups. I also like being ablel to email provider with questions or concerns. Just pick a really secure difficult to hack password. Never use the same user names and passwords for multiple sites.