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News release: Colorado - Denver/BoulderSeptember 28, 1999 For more information, call: Doctor appointments and advice available online Denver, CO – Kaiser Permanente's award-winning public Internet site is now complemented by a secure site for Colorado members who have specific questions about their health. Members now can consult online with an advice nurse or pharmacist, make a nonurgent medical appointment, join a doctor-moderated discussion group, and research a huge pharmacy and health care database. The members-only site – Kaiser Permanente Online – started up in Colorado this month. "This is another convenient way for members to interact with us," said Andy Wiesenthal, MD, associate medical director for Kaiser Permanente's Colorado region. "Someone with Internet access can get online any time, day or night, and request an appointment, get solid health information, and contact a medical expert – and they may be happier choosing that option than other ways of contacting us." Responses to appointment and advice requests arrive by e-mail within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. Members choose a Personal Identification Number to ensure privacy of their online communications. The new service is not intended to substitute for direct doctor-patient communication. "This is for somebody who already has decided they don't need to talk directly to a doctor or nurse," Wiesenthal said. He said the doctor-moderated discussion groups bring a new dimension to doctor-patient communications. "There may be other people online who have health care [issues] similar to yours. They can offer insights you might find helpful, and they may ask questions you hadn't thought of." Discussion group topics range from medications to arthritis, alternative medicine to stress management. A database of evidence-based health information helps members take charge of their own health. The Healthwise health encyclopedia supplies up-to-date information on diseases, symptoms, tests, and surgical procedures. The separate Micromedex drug encyclopedia provides details about prescription and over-the-counter medications. Kaiser Permanente Online eventually will expand to offer more personal medical information and services. Next on the drawing board is a computerized prescription refill system, online access to lab reports, and e-mail communication with your personal physician. The new Web site meets a soaring demand for online health information. A recent Harris poll found that 70 million U.S. adults searched the Web for health information in the past year. The Food and Drug Administration and researchers have determined that much of that information is unreliable. To help members sift through the sea of information on the Internet, Kaiser Permanente Online offers links to other health sites that have been screened for accuracy and reliability. Kaiser Permanente Online complements the health care organization's public web site, www.kaiserpermanente.org, which won the 1999 Silver World Wide Web Health Award from the Health Information Resource Center. The public site attracts 108,000 hits a day and offers preventive medicine tips, healthful recipes, and children's educational material. Anyone can subscribe to a free quarterly webzine, Partners In Health, which includes Colorado-specific health care articles. The members-only site is accessed at www.kponline.org. More information is available by calling 1-800-556-7677. Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit health care organization serving 358,000 members in the Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs area. It was the first health maintenance organization in Colorado, opening 30 years ago in Denver.
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