Patient Portal (Online Patient Services) Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Patient Portal (Online Patient Services) Frequently Asked Questions Table of Contents I. General Patient Portal Questions II. III. IV. Appointment Scheduling Questions Prescription (RX) Refill Questions Medical Concern Questions V. Cosmetic Concern Questions VI. Billing Questions

2 I. General Patient Portal Questions: What is a patient portal and why do you offer online patient services accounts? The patient portal provides a secure environment for patients to communicate with our staff regarding their non-emergency healthcare needs during and after regular office hours. Through your online patient services account, you can pay your bills and ask questions, as well as request appointments and prescription refills, at your convenience. Can I have one online patient services account (patient portal) for my whole family? Each member of your family must have their own individual online patient services (patient portal) account, as all messages and information transmitted become part of the individual s permanent health record. Can I ask emergency related questions via my online patient services account (patient portal)? No. The Patient Portal is not to be used for emergency related medical issues. Please call our office directly for any question you would need answered within one (1) business day or sooner. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency facility. Can I cancel or reschedule an appointment via my online patient services account (patient portal)? Yes. With advance (minimum of 48 hours) notice only. In order to open your appointment to others in a timely fashion, please call our office directly to make any appointment changes within 48 hours. How will I know that my request has been taken care of? You will receive an to the address you used to set up your online patient services (patient portal) account. The will be from patient-notifications@dallasassocderm.com. The will direct you to log on to your online patient services (patient portal) account and view the reply or actions taken. To avoid these s going to your spam or junk folder, it s a good idea to add this address to your contact list or address book. How long does it take for requests to be processed? Messages and requests will be responded to within 1 business day. Many requests will only be processed during normal office hours, as they are patient specific, medical issues. So please be patient with us. Remember, the online patient services (patient portal) account should not be used for emergency related medical issues or questions. How long will it take for my payment to be posted to my patient account? Please allow 2 3 business days for your payment to be posted to your account. Can I expect a reply by , or by telephone? We generally will reply using the same method that you used to contact us. If we need more information to process your request, we may use and/or telephone. Do messages sent and received through the Patient Portal become part of my medical record?

3 Yes. Messages that you send within the online patient services account (patient portal), and the responses to those messages, become part of your medical record.

4 II. Appointment/Scheduling Questions: How soon can I schedule an appointment with my doctor? The answer depends upon the reason for the appointment and how important day of the week and office location are to you. For routine appointments such as annual skin checks, appointments are generally available about one (1) month out. Generally, patients seeking first available appointments will find openings sooner than those who place a priority on one or more of the following parameters: day of the week, time or office location. On the appointment request screen, you may refer to the Provider Availability Chart for an idea of when providers see patients at each office. We do adjust our providers schedules to allow for extra appointment slots during college breaks. For pressing, but non-emergency, medical concerns or conditions that require scheduling more quickly than a regular appointment slot is available, we utilize a patient priority list to assist in getting those patients scheduled as quickly as possible. What are the parking options at your Baylor Medical Pavilion office? Baylor Medical Pavilion offers two covered parking options adjacent to the building. Baylor charges a nominal fee for its garage parking (always an option) and for its valet service which is generally available M-F, during regular business hours. Do you have evening or weekend appointments available? Appointments with our providers are generally available M-F, 8:30 4:30. On the appointment request screen, refer to the Provider Availability Chart, for an idea of when they see patients at each office.

5 III. Rx Refill Questions: Why did I not get a written prescription for my medication when I was in the office? The prescription for that medication may have been electronically submitted to the pharmacy we have on file for you. Please check with your pharmacy to see if, and when, your prescription will be ready for pick up. How can I get a prescription refill? If the label indicates refills are still available, and you want to refill it at the same pharmacy, contact your pharmacy. If the label indicates refills are still available, and you want to refill it at a different pharmacy, you can submit a request while you are logged in to your patient portal account. Please have the pharmacy name and phone number available. If no refills are available, you can submit a request while you are logged in to your patient portal account or you can contact your pharmacy to ask them to fax a request to our office at If your insurance plan requires prior authorization, you can ask your pharmacy to fax a prior authorization request to our office at Depending upon the insurance, the process can take 2-5 days. How can I get a prescription or refill for Accutane? To be treated with Accutane, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) requires patients to be enrolled in the IPledge program and be seen by their prescribing physician every 30 days. Pharmacies can only refill the Accutane prescription when their IPledge records indicate that the patient is enrolled in the program and has been seen by the physician, as required, prior to each refill request. What is the IPledge program and how does it work? When Accutane is first prescribed, this government program and its requirements are explained to you in our office. Enrollment begins with an IPledge ID card given to you at this prescribing visit and contains information required for using your online IPledge account which can be accessed on the IPledge website. To log into your IPledge account, enter this unique ID number as the user name and enter the password which is included in the packet mailed directly to you after that prescribing physician appointment. Please keep your IPledge card in a safe place as the ID number on the card is unique to you, and stays in effect so that if you are prescribed Accutane again in the future, by any physician, you are still registered in the program. If you experience any difficulties accessing your account there are two options available to you on the IPledge website. There is a forgot password link and a toll free number for questions If my refill request is denied, how will I know the reason for the denial? If the request is made while you are logged in to your online patient services account, (patient portal) you will find a reply in your online patient services account in box. If the pharmacy makes the request, they will be given a reason at the time of the denial.

6 My prescription medication is expensive. Is there help available? Yes, activate the discount card you received in our office and re-submit the prescription request. If you did not receive a discount card at your visit, you can request one or ask us to prescribe generic alternatives, if available. My insurance does not cover the medication you prescribed. Is there an alternative? Many times your pharmacist can see a list of alternative medications that your individual plan covers. Please ask for those medication names and include them in the notes portion of your Refill Request submission in this patient portal. Please allow 24 hours for prescription requests to be completed unless prior authorization is required by your insurance. In that case, the change in medication may take 2-5 days depending upon your insurance plan. How do I use the prescription rebate card your office gave me? Be sure you activate the rebate card before the prescription is submitted to the pharmacy AND take the rebate card with you when you pick up the prescription. If you require additional assistance, please submit an Ask a Medication Question while you are logged in to this patient portal. Be sure to list the name of the medication and describe the problem you are experiencing. Include the name of the pharmacy, along with its location and phone number.

7 IV. Medical Concern Questions: Do you treat patients with acne? Yes. All our providers have the training and experience to treat patients with acne. Do you treat patients with psoriasis? Yes. All our providers have the training and experience to treat patients with psoriasis and sometimes refer patients to psoriatic specialists, if needed for more specialized treatment. Do you treat African American patients? Yes. Our providers have the training and experience to treat patients regardless of ethnicity. Do you treat children? Yes. Our providers have the training and experience to treat patients of all ages. Do you do tattoo removal? No. Dallas Associated Dermatologists does not currently own the specialized equipment required for tattoo removal. Please contact our office for referral information. Do your doctors remove warts? Warts cannot simply be surgically removed or excised like other types of growths. Instead, we provide treatment for warts. Treatment involves freezing the wart to stimulate the patient s immune system to attack the virus causing the wart. Each patient s immune system responds differently and it can take several treatments to effectively destroy the wart being treated. Will the doctor remove or treat my spot at the first visit? It is difficult to predict until the physician sees the area of concern and properly identifies it. If the recommended treatment can be performed in the time allotted, the area will be treated. If not, a separate appointment will be scheduled to remove or treat it. Do your doctors treat hair loss? Yes. Several of our providers have the training and experience to treat hair loss. Treatment is gender based and may include both topical and oral remedies. How can I obtain my pathology results? Please click here to return to the home page of our website. Click on the Pathology/Lab Results link in the top right hand corner of the screen and follow the instructions for using our LabCalls system or call our Pathology Services department at , How can I obtain my laboratory results? Laboratory results will soon be available through our LabCalls system. Meanwhile, please call our Pathology Services department at

8 V. Cosmetic Concern Questions: What cosmetic procedures do you offer, how much do they cost? We offer a variety of effective and affordable cosmetic products and procedures. However, we start with a cosmetic consultation appointment where a Skin Care Specialist can assess the condition of your skin and listen to your concerns. During that appointment, appropriate treatments and the costs associated with them will be explained to you along with any package discounts that are available. The nominal fee charged for this consultation can be applied to the purchase of any cosmetic treatment or products. Will my insurance pay for cosmetic products and procedures? Medical insurance does not pay for cosmetic treatments. We offer a wide variety of payment options including cash, check, all major credit cards and CareCredit financing. Do I have to have a cosmetic consultation to schedule something the doctor recommended for me? Yes. The recommendation from your dermatologist for a specific treatment lets us know that he/she thinks you are a good candidate, and that is a good first step. However, in your cosmetic treatment consultation, you will meet the skin care specialist, take before pictures, receive important pre-treatment instructions and have the opportunity ask questions as well as to buy numbing cream and any other pre-treatment products you might need prior to your procedure. What products do I need to discontinue before a procedure, and how long before hand? Most procedures require discontinuing abrasive products 5 days before your scheduled procedure. If more specific pre-treatment instructions are required for your treatment, they are provided in your cosmetic treatment consultation. Do lasers work on darker skin tones? Many lasers are not recommended for darker skin tones. Scheduling a consultation or speaking to one of our cosmetic assistants would be in your best interest. Am I supposed to be red and itchy after using my exfoliating or skin brightening products? Yes. The red, itchy, flaky feeling is your skin rapidly exfoliating dead cells from the inside out. Do you mail or coupons or special offers? No. Please check our website News and Events for periodic special offers.

9 VI. Billing Questions: Will you bill me for my copay and/or deductible? We will file your insurance however. However, payment for co-pay and charges, if your deductible has not been met, are due at the time of service. Is there any difference in fees charged by a PA and a physician for the same service? The charge for a visit is the same regardless of the type of provider. How much is an office visit if I don t have insurance? Our office visit fees are competitive and vary with the reason for and the length of the appointment required to meet the patient s needs. Please submit and Appointment Request which includes a few brief questions that will assist us in providing the most accurate answer possible. Does your office offer a discount for uninsured patients? Yes. Self-pay patients receive a 25% discount. Do I have to pay for my visit, in full, after the appointment or can I make payments? Payment is expected at the time of service; however, some options are available for extenuating circumstances.