Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Medical Homeport Online is a Web-based service through which doctors and patients can communicate securely about non-urgent healthcare matters. Through Medical Homeport Online, you can consult your doctor about specific health symptoms, request a prescription refill, request appointments, receive lab or test results, access health education information, and more - depending on the types of Medical Homeport Online services your doctors offers.

Medical Homeport Online requires only a connection to the Internet and a Web browser. Medical Homeport Online 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

With highly secure, built-in 128-bit secure-socket layer encryption technology, Medical Homeport Online protects the privacy and confidentiality of personal information transmitted through its doctor-patient messaging service. Only you, your doctor, and your doctor's authorized staff can read your Medical Homeport Online messages.

Medical Homeport Online messages differ from regular e-mail messages in that they are securely and confidentially transmitted and structured to the specific needs of doctor-patient interaction. Also, unlike e-mail - which relies on multiple file servers distributed across the Internet - Medical Homeport Online uses a single, centrally managed, secure database which ensures that messages cannot be intercepted, deleted, copied, or altered in any way. 

As a Medical Homeport Online user, you aren't assigned an e-mail address. Rather, you'll access the secure Medical Homeport Online service by typing the Medical Homeport Online URL into your Web browser and signing in to your password-protected Medical Homeport Online account. When a message is delivered to your Medical Homeport Online Inbox, you're immediately notified via e-mail (this notice is sent to the e-mail address you provide when registering) and provided a convenient link to Medical Homeport Online so you can quickly access your waiting message. 

Tell us your doctor's name and we'll contact your doctor about joining Medical Homeport Online. We'll notify you via e-mail when we contact your doctor. 

Medical Homeport Online is designed to support doctors and their established patients. It's not a vehicle for establishing a new relationship with a doctor. 

Medical Homeport Online does not charge you to access or use the Medical Homeport Online service.

Once you successfully register with Medical Homeport Online and your doctor agrees to communicate with you through the service, easy-to-use, structured templates allow you to consult your doctor about specific health symptoms, request a prescription refill, request appointments, receive lab or test results, ask a simple questions, or access health education information - depending on the types of Medical Homeport Online services your doctor offers.

Only you, your doctor, and your doctor's authorized staff can view your Medical Homeport Online messages (members of your doctor's staff - like a nurse or a receptionist - may be qualified to respond, or prepare responses, just as they would during an office visit or telephone call). Messages are never stored anywhere but on the secure Medical Homeport Online server, and they cannot be read en route, deleted, copied, or altered in any way.

All members or Medical Homeport Online, doctors included, are required to create and enter a secure Sign In name and password to access the service. In addition, Medical Homeport requires doctors to submit their medical credentials for verification. When your doctor replies to your message, their name will appear in the "Sender" field of the message. Should a member of your doctor's authorized staff respond to your message, that person's name - as well as the doctor's name - will appear in the "Sender" field of the message your receive. These are just some of the ways we guarantee your privacy and security. 

If you register for Medical Homeport Online and forget your password, you can simply click the "Forgot your Sign In Name or Password?" link below the Sign In box on the Sign In page. If you know either your sign in name or password, we can provide you with the missing piece of information immediately. If you have forgotten both your sign in name and your password, you'll be directed to Medical Homeport Online Customer Support for assistance.

Only you, your doctor, and your doctor's authorized staff have access to your Medical Homeport Online Health Record. And you can see who has accessed this medical information at any time. Completing a Medical Homeport Online Health Record is not required; however, keeping accurate records of your health habits, medications, allergies, and medical conditions supplies helpful information to your doctor Your doctor may use this information to help diagnose your symptoms, or to forward relevant preventative care and educational information to you. Your doctor can modify your Health Record to reflect a recent diagnosis or a new medication. 

You can discontinue your Medical Homeport Online membership at any time. Once your Medical Homeport Online membership is terminated, all information stored in your account up to the termination date - a "snapshot" if you will - remains accessible to your doctor, but you will no longer be able to communicate with your physician through Medical Homeport Online (or vice versa).

If you want to alter your Medical Homeport Online account by removing a family member from the service, the family member's information will be removed from your Medical Homeport Online Health Record, and you'll be unable to message doctors about this family member. All previous messages sent and received for this family member will be stored in your Medical Homeport Online account. You can always re-add the family member back to your Medical Homeport Online account at a late date, if you wish. 

With Medical Homeport Online, you enjoy 24/7 toll-free phone and e-mail support. During normal business hours (6:00 AM to 5:30 PM), Medical Home Online 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.