Source: Rhino Times Greensboro

Remove Images New Eagle Website by Paul C. Clark February 15, 2011 Ever been caught madly running around town to organize your health care and medical records? Did you even know that you have access to your medical records? Well, now you can visit an Eagle Physicians virtual office from the comfort of your easy chair and access many of your records. Last December, Eagle Physicians, the doctor-owned medical practice with 12 locations across Greensboro, completely redesigned their website to act as a kind of virtual office. Part of this redesign included Eagle's innovative Patient Portal, a website function that lets patients manage appointments, request refills on medications, view billing statements, update their patient information and view their general medical history, including allergies, vital signs, medications and immunizations. You can even check out your symptoms in their Self-Diagnosis section. The new Eagle website is remarkably easy to use, even for people who aren't web-savvy. And I even found that I was having fun exploring all the nooks and crannies of the site. Visit the home page and, instead of a jumble of confusing links, you're greeted with an open filing cabinet full of files, each one clearly marked with a special service: an Eagle provider directory, a directory of specialties and locations, a "Stay HealthyTM" folder full of tips for remaining in good health with a variety of medical conditions, a folder of news to keep you up to date with the latest innovations at Eagle and, most useful, a Self-Diagnosis folder. Eagle worked with Greensboro advertising and marketing agency Greenlight Brand Agents to create the new, easy-to-use website. Ian Andersen, a principal partner at Greenlight, said the new design was a large undertaking that combined the skills of a solid team – but was one Eagle felt necessary to ease the health-management burden on patients and meet patients' expectations for service in the digital age. "Eagle understood that their digital presence needed to be more patient-friendly, and I admire their willingness to step out with a fresh online approach," said Andersen. "They didn't cut corners or take the easy way out – the objective wasn't compromised along the way, and we are collectively proud of the end result." Aside from the unique and friendly office theme on which the Eagle website is based, one of the most useful features is the updated Self-Diagnosis tool. There's a lot of medical information on the internet – some of it reliable, and some not. The Self-Diagnosis tool gives patients access to information from a trusted source: Eagle's team of more than 70 doctors and health care professionals, as backed by the American Academy of Family Physicians. One inefficient aspect of health care – for patients and doctors alike – is the necessity for patients to go to a doctor's office on short notice, sometimes facing a long wait, to have minor symptoms looked at by a doctor. In many cases, the patient (with the website's information from Eagle doctors) could rule out serious ailments, allowing patients to schedule an office visit on a more convenient basis, thus reducing the stress on patients. This, it turns out, is what the Self-Diagnosis tool is all about. This ingenious, yet simple tool lets patients look up their symptoms, get advice and then find out how to treat their immediate symptoms, or what information to tell Eagle doctors and staff at their appointment. If the symptoms are fairly serious, the user will be instructed to schedule an appointment right away; if the symptoms are minor, the patient can do so when it is more convenient for them. The Self-Diagnosis tool lists dozens of symptoms, such as headaches, lower back pain, shortness of breath, stomach problems and throat problems. Once patients identify their symptoms, the Self-Diagnosis tool walks them through a series of questions that rule out conditions until a recommendation is reached. "Neither the Self-Diagnosis tool nor the Patient Portal (or the rest of the website for that matter) replaces Eagle's trained doctors and other health care professionals," said Janet Barr, human resources director at Eagle. The best part about the Eagle website is that it's completely optional. Patients who are comfortable with computers and used to getting service at digital speeds can use it, but Eagle's traditional face-to-face care is always there. "Our goal with the new website is to help empower patients with useful information, and position patients to be more informed in making health care decisions with their health care provider," said Sheri Raymer, CEO of Eagle. "It's just easier to do much of this stuff online, and you don't have to worry about calling and waiting on hold to have simple requests managed. We are one of the early adopters of patient portal technology in our area and proud to be making access easier," added Raymer. Eagle patients and potential patients can find the Eagle website and its many services at http://www.eaglemds.com.