MiCare secure messaging available for Tinker 72nd Med Group enrollees Published April 26, 2013 By Brandice J. O'Brien Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- It recently became one step easier for patients enrolled to the 72nd Medical Group to communicate with their health care providers. As of April 15, patients can send their providers questions using a secure messaging system. To register, ask the front desk staff at your clinic when upon checking for your next appointment. Similar to that of email, a patient can type a note and send it through the Air Force Medical Service's MiCare program to their health care provider. Someone within the team -- a technician, nurse or doctor -- will review the message and reply within 72 business hours. "This tool brings the focus back to the patient and utilizes the technologies that are available to enhance the patient experience in every way that we can," said Capt. Brian Allen, 72nd MDG practice manager. "The evolution of medicine is to use different communication mediums to put a patient in touch with their provider team more conveniently and faster; secure messaging accomplishes that." There are roughly 200 Tinker patients enrolled in the program, but, when the program is fully operational, the hope is to have the medical group's entire populace, approximately 22,000 patients enrolled, said Erin Rivas, 72nd MDG practice manager. "Our goals are to register 25 percent of our 22,000 enrollees within three months and to register 50 percent of the total number of patients within six months," she said. "This program is being rolled out throughout the Air Force and by January 2014, all military treatment facilities will have this program." Patients who register for the MiCare system are asked to show their military identification card and provide basic identification information. An email will be sent for patients to finish the registration process. Once registered, patients can request appointments, get test results, request prescription refills or ask questions. "It really eliminates the phone tag, too," Captain Allen said. "A lot of times when we have results and personal medical information, we're not able to leave messages and sometimes it causes patients and providers to call back multiple times. This allows for one message they're able to check at their convenience." The MiCare system is privacy act and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 compliant. "Micare has been shown to significantly reduce the number of phone calls between patients and providers, increase patient satisfaction, and save time for the medical office staff and the patient," Ms. Rivas said. For more information, call 582-6399.