Frequently Asked Questions

Improve quality of care: RelayHealth features can help enhance patient adherence
Create clinical efficiencies: Streamline communications with the immediacy and efficiency of the Internet
Enhance relationships: Foster a closer relationship with your patients, while providing them greater access and convenience
Generate income: RelayHealth gives you the option to assess fees for services you are probably now rendering for free.

What are the benefits of RelayHealth versus the telephone?

If you're medical office is like most, you spend several hours a day on the phone returning patient messages, communicating with pharmacies, leaving appointment reminders, sharing lab results — and simply playing phone tag. Communicating these non-urgent matters through RelayHealth is more convenient for everyone involved.

Patients can send messages anytime, anywhere. There's no waiting on hold with RelayHealth. And providers can respond when it's most convenient, without being constantly interrupted by intrusive phone calls.

What's more, all RelayHealth messages are documented and stored for future reference. There's no transcription issue, since messages are relayed in the precise form the sender intended. And, unlike the telephone, messages sent through the RelayHealth service are protected and secure.

What's the difference between e-mail and connecting through RelayHealth?

Unlike e-mail, which utilizes multiple servers distributed across the Internet, RelayHealth communications all occur within a single, centrally managed database, isolated from the Internet by a firewall, which blocks access by unauthorized parties. Information transmitted via RelayHealth can be trusted to arrive privately and unaltered to the server specified. Here are more reasons RelayHealth is better suited than e-mail to healthcare communications:

e-Mail Messages	RelayHealth Messages
Unsecure	Secure
Free-form messages	Clinical structure
Non-chargeable	Potentially reimbursable
One-to-one exchange	Conforms to physician office workflow
May require chart pull	Online patient health record
Not HIPAA-compliant	HIPAA-ready
Difficult to retrieve records	Audit trail
Limited functionality	Optimized for healthcare

Are other doctors using RelayHealth?

Thousands of healthcare providers use the RelayHealth service to securely communicate with colleagues, staff, and patients. For more information, contact us.

Will we be barraged with patient e-mails?

Practices using RelayHealth are not overwhelmed with volume. Active practices find time saved answering intrusive phone calls more than compensates for time spent responding via RelayHealth. What's more, unlike incoming phone calls, RelayHealth messages can be automatically routed by type to the most appropriate member of the practice for triaging and efficient response.

How will we know when we have messages waiting from patients?

When physicians register for the RelayHealth service, they'll specify how they'd like to be notified of waiting messages — we'll send alerts via fax or e-mail (sent to a regular Internet e-mail account), per the stated preference. Some physicians choose to forward automated e-mail notifications to their pager as well. RelayHealth also gives physicians the ability to automatically route all waiting message notifications to a staff member.

For e-mail notification, we'll notify you of waiting messages daily — including holidays and weekends — at 5:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 4:00 PM Pacific Time. Fax notifications are sent daily at 4:00 AM Pacific Time. Or you can opt for instant notification for certain message types.

When you set up your account, you'll also be asked to set a response time for patient messages. If you have not responded to a waiting message within your stated response time, your RelayHealth home page will display the overdue messages in red, so you can locate and respond to them quickly.

Will online communication increase our liability?

Feedback from carriers suggests they prefer secure online communication to phone calls with patients because it's secure, structured, and self-documenting. What's more, RelayHealth complies with eRisk guidelines, which were established in conjunction with malpractice carriers.

How can we protect patients' privacy on the Web?

Ensure the confidentiality of by using a secure messaging platform, like RelayHealth.

We employ sophisticated hardware and software technology to keep healthcare data safe and secure.
We developed and enforce a thorough privacy policy.
We do not share individually identifiable information exchanged or stored in the RelayHealth service with advertisers or other third parties.
We allow patients to view an audit trail identifying who has accessed their health information.

What type of security is necessary to communicate with patients online?

Embedded Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology — a protocol that delivers server authentication, data encryption, and message integrity — ensures RelayHealth messages can only be read by the registered doctor, the doctor's authorized staff, and the patient. What's more, the RelayHealth service requires a login ID and password, and can only be accessed by registered users.

RelayHealth meets all current CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) Internet Security requirements, and employs a dedicated HIPAA officer to monitor changes in and enforcement of the pending HIPAA regulations. RelayHealth will maintain full compliance with the regulations when they are published.

What guidelines should we give my patients for secure online communication?

We suggest you develop and distribute a policy statement that explains the differences between e-mail and secure RelayHealth messaging. It's important to outline the scope of medical matters you'll address online, and set reasonable expectations regarding important issues like response time or appropriate subject matter. A sample policy is available to registered RelayHealth physicians for customization.

How do we let patients know we're online?

By working with thousands of registered RelayHealth physicians, RelayHealth has assembled a number of unique ideas for promoting online services to patients. The most powerful tool is to tell them about your online service when they visit your office. You might also include your RelayHealth Web site address in your voicemail message, or place a computer in your waiting room for on-site registration. A complete set of customizable marketing tools is provided to all medical offices using RelayHealth. Contact RelayHealth Customer Support for details.

What if we only want to use a subset of the RelayHealth online services?

With RelayHealth, you dictate the message types available to your patients online. For example, if you prefer patients schedule appointments via phone rather than online, you can disable the Appointment message type while leaving all other message types (like eScript™, webVisit®) functional. Message types you disable will be hidden from your patients, to eliminate confusion.

What is an ASP?

An Application Service Provider, or ASP, hosts software applications on its own servers within its own facilities. As an ASP, RelayHealth licenses the use of the RelayHealth application to healthcare providers, who access the service via a secure Internet connection.

What are the benefits of using ASP services?

By using an ASP, you avoid purchasing and installing complex, locally installed software and hardware, and supporting a technical staff — the software application, infrastructure, and services are all supplied by the ASP. ASP customers enjoy access to the latest technologies while benefiting from quick deployment and reduced costs (compared to purchase or in-house solutions). Also, ASPs deliver a subject matter expertise difficult to cultivate in a broader organization.

Can our staff or providers message on a physician's behalf?

Yes — if you'd like them to. If you've granted them access rights, practice members can instantly scan incoming messages and respond on a physician's behalf using RelayHealth's user-friendly Group Inbox, ensuring maximum efficiency and responsiveness. When patients receive a reply from the office, it will be plain who has responded — the message will either be sent "From [RelayHealth Physician]", or "By [staff member] on behalf of [RelayHealth Physician]". The practice can also establish routing rules which automatically directly RelayHealth messages by type to the most appropriate staff member. For example, all prescription renewals go directly to the RN, appointment requests route the receptionist, and online consultations get forwarded to the physician.

Can we communicate with colleagues using this service?

Yes. As a RelayHealth member, you may securely message members of your own medical group, as well as any other RelayHealth user. You can also use the RelayHealth online referral service to send an electronic referral to any consulting specialist — regardless of whether they are a RelayHealth member.

What if our colleagues haven't signed up for this service?

You can send secure referral messages to any provider — regardless of whether they're registered with RelayHealth. We'll send referrals to non-RelayHealth providers you specify per information you provide, notifying them of the waiting message. For unregistered providers, we send a fax and automatically create a "guest account", enabling the recipient to retrieve, respond to, and print your referral message using RelayHealth.

What are the technical requirements to use this service?

RelayHealth requires only a connection to the Internet and a Web browser. RelayHealth supports:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP and higher
Firefox 2.x on Windows XP and higher
Safari 2.x on Mac OS 10.4 and higher

Does RelayHealth interoperate with Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management systems?

Absolutely. Our proven Interoperability Solution, which combines powerful Interoperability Toolkit technology with seasoned Professional Services expertise, enables seamless data sharing between the RelayHealth service and any commercial or custom-built EHR. In as little as four to six weeks, you'll be able to import, link, and store secure RelayHealth messages in patients' electronic health records — without ever leaving the EHR system. For an initial consultation or to request the RelayHealth Interoperability Toolkit Implementation Guide, contact us at support@relayhealth.com or 1-866-RELAY-ME (1-866-735-2963).

How much does this service cost?

RelayHealth is available for a monthly fee. Discounted rates and/or subsidies are available for Medical Groups, Hospitals, Health Networks, as well as participants in select health plan networks in California, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Washington.

Please call 1-866-RELAY-ME (1-866-735-2963) for more information on rates and fees or send us an email.

Can we charge fees for this service?

The decision is yours. If you choose to charge for certain RelayHealth services, like webVisit® consultations, RelayHealth provides a secure platform for reimbursement and fee collection and processing. But even if you don't charge patients for services rendered via RelayHealth, you'll find our messaging platform a more efficient medium for interacting with patients, representing time and cost savings compared to similar phone or mail interactions.

Do insurance companies reimburse for this service?

RelayHealth is working with a growing list of payors to secure reimbursement for online webVisit^® consultations. We invite you to learn more about our reimbursement initiatives, or contact Customer Support for specific details on participating health plans.

How do electronic prescriptions work?

The RelayHealth eScript online prescribing service allows both original prescriptions and renewal authorizations to be transmitted directly from the medical office to virtually any pharmacy in the U.S. through the SureScripts Electronic Prescribing Network — the largest network of pharmacies in the nation. There's no need for the doctor's office to ever lift the phone, or a pen. Alternately, providers can send the prescription back to the patient, who then forwards the prescription to the pharmacy. In either case, there's no need to call the pharmacy or the patient. Pre-authorized refills bypass the office entirely.

Through eScript, prescribers can instantly assess the patient's accompanying online medical profile and check for compliance with the patient's health plan formulary. What's more, RelayHealth automatically screens each prescription for possible interactions with recorded patient allergies, health problems or previously prescribed medications.

What do we need to know to safely prescribe medications over the Internet?

One of the most important criteria for safe online prescribing is the existence of an established relationship between doctor and patient. Some online prescribing services, those you may have heard disparaged in the news from time to time, bypass this critical requirement. RelayHealth eScript is designed to facilitate existing doctor-patient relationships only. In fact, prescribing for patients who haven't been seen previously violates our standard Terms of Use.

eScript also helps ensure safety by minimizing errors. eScript stores patient's medication, route, form, strength, quantity, SIG, refills, and pharmacy for quick, accurate renewals. And since prescriptions are routed electronically, legibility is vastly improved compared to handwritten prescriptions. Also, RelayHealth automatically screens each prescription for possible interactions with recorded patient drug allergies, health conditions or previously prescribed medications.

Patients are notified when renewal requests are read by their doctor and, through RelayHealth, patients can check the status of their refill requests and verify when they've been transmitted to the pharmacy. Their Personal Health Record is also automatically updated with renewal information.

We already have a practice Web site. How do we integrate?

RelayHealth can be easily linked to your existing practice Web site to strengthen your online service offering for patients. Many practices with existing Web sites insert hyperlinks to RelayHealth services directly from their home page, or from their physician-specific pages. Co-branding, integration, and customization (such as "single sign-in", if you already have a username and password-protected portion of your site) are also available. Please contact us for more information.

Will our name be used to advertise pharmaceuticals?

Absolutely not. RelayHealth will not share (or sell or rent) any identifiable information with any party other than the patient, the patient's doctor, and the doctor's authorized staff. Pharmaceutical companies will have no access to your personal or professional information, or your prescribing history.

How do we ask for help?

With RelayHealth, you enjoy 24/7 toll-free phone and e-mail support (as do your patients). During normal business hours (7:30 AM to 5:30 PM Pacific Time), RelayHealth Customer Support representatives are accessible by phone or e-mail. Voice or e-mail messages left after normal business hours automatically page an on-call Customer Support representative, who responds within one hour.

To contact RelayHealth Customer Support:

E-mail us at support@RelayHealth.com
Call toll-free: 1-866-RELAY-ME (1-866-735-2963)