Each request can take up to 10 phone calls to manage, consuming scarce time from both physicians and their staff. Moreover, physicians often do not receive any compensation for this work, due to lack of knowledge on market rates and lack of a convenient mechanism to collect payment.

Uncompensated time for overworked physicians in private practice adds a further strain to the financial challenges of sustaining a practice.

In Use

Hello Health, an electronic medical record platform with an integrated patient portal, in collaboration with 5 O’Clock Records, provides a solution to this issue of uncompensated medical record requests. When a physician receives a request for a medical record, he or she can direct the requestor to the 5 O’Clock Records website where the necessary information and validation of the request is processed.

The requestor is also informed of the cost to receive the medical record, alleviating the need of the Hello Health physician to seek out this information. Upon acceptance and payment by the requestor, the physician can transfer the electronic patient record from the Hello Health platform to 5 O’Clock Records for secure access by the requestor.

Technology Employed

The electronic medical record is generated in the Hello Health platform and the management of the medical record request is executed through the 5 O’Clock Records web-based system.

Ease of Use, Configuration & Deployment

Both Hello Health and 5 O’Clock Records are secure cloud-based platforms and are available at no cost to physicians. Physicians collect a share of revenue generated through patient subscriptions to the patient portal component of the Hello Health platform. Physicians also collect a share of the revenue from payments for medical records by approved requestors through 5 O’Clock Records, creating two new revenue streams for a practice.

Recap

Practices can be compensated at market rates for providing medical record information to legitimate requestors in a more streamlined process and for implementing an electronic medical record platform that offers patients a portal for managing their health information. It also offers enhanced convenience and access to the practice through online scheduling, test results, virtual visits and secure messaging.

Advantages

• Incremental revenue streams
• No cost outlay
• Improved workflow efficiency
• Reduced paperwork and phone calls
• Improved use of staff time
• Improved quality of life

Disadvantages

Transfer of patient records between Hello Health and 5 O’Clock Records is currently manual until an electronic interface is completed.