Easy way to medical aid

  • Published
  • By Airman Taylor Phifer
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
It’s 8 p.m. and you’re running low on a prescription. You need a new refill for the medication, but can’t call the clinic’s appointment line until the morning.

There is a faster and easier way to renew referrals, fill prescriptions and ask questions. Secure messaging allows patients to communicate with their Primary Care Manager (PCM) without calling the appointment line. Secure messaging is available through TriCare Online. To access secure messaging a patient can log into their TriCare Online account and select the secure messaging tab on the multi-colored wheel of options to choose from. The patient will be directed to the Relay Health website where he or she can create or log into their account. Once logged in they can compose a secure message to their PCM.

“Secure messaging is beneficial, easy to access and can save a patient time by using it,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Elizabeth M. Cardoza, a 509th Medical Operations Squadron (MDOS) Family Health Office manager. A patient can send a secure message to their provider about prescription refills, renewing referrals, lab results or general questions. Appointments can be scheduled, re-scheduled or cancelled by using secure messaging, but it is not intended for emergencies.

“I use it to refill my medications and book appointments,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Canna Williams-Ivey, a 509th MDOS aerospace medical technician. “It’s easy and convenient for me because I don’t have to call the appointment line and wait on hold to talk to someone.”
It’s recommended that patients use secure messaging instead of calling the appointment line for a telephone consult, said Cardoza. With a telephone consult, the patient has to wait on hold for an appointment clerk to enter the message. This system eliminates the appointment clerk and lets the patient create and submit their own message 24/7. For those who want to submit a photo or scan a document, there is an option to attach a document to their secure message.

“Use the attachment tool in the message,” said Cardoza. “For example, if a patient recently had surgery and needs to be on convalescent leave, the patient can take a photo or scan their paperwork, upload it, attach it to a secure message and send the message to their PCM instead of going to the clinic to drop off the papers after surgery.”

Along with secure messaging and download my data, patients can view who their PCM is and update their account information on the Relay Health website.

When there is a new email address or change in residence, Relay Health gives the patient control of their account information. It’s important to keep accounts updated, such as the patient’s email address because if they receive a new secure message they will be notified via email. Emails will not contain any of the secure message’s details, instead they will only say the patient has a new message and to check their account.

“These resources and tools are available to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Cardoza. “By utilizing this, it should reduce the amount of time the patient will spend on the phone with the appointment line or going to the clinic to ask questions and leave messages for their PCM. As technology increases, I see health care increasing digital access and giving patients more control over their own health care.”