✦General Patient Portal & Email Information:

•Always identify yourself by first and last name.  Do not rely on our recognizing who you are from your email address.

•For an appointment, state the reason for the appointment and give us some time and date choices.  We will give you an appointment in a return email, and ask that you send a reply to accept.

•Since we use email to send our patients our newsletter and to inform patients of lab results (normal tests only), please give us your e-mail or let us know if the one we have on record has changed.

✦Patient Portal Messages & Emails are good for:

•General health questions (e.g. do I need flu shot?)

•Follow up of recent medical visits to this office

•General follow up of a chronic condition. (e.g. giving us data on your home blood sugars or blood pressures)

•Requests for medication refills of meds we have prescribed (for medication refills, please give us the medication and pharmacy)

•If you are not sure that you need to make an appointment

•Requests for lab results

✦Do not use email for:

•Asking us to research a medical topic

•Medical advice for conditions or symptoms that are new or where we have not seen you for that condition.

•Highly confidential information that is best conveyed in person or by phone

•Information which requires urgent or immediate action