Methodist Health Care First in Houston to Offer Online Patient Registration

Registering for hospital procedures can be time consuming, a headache for people on the go. But Methodist Health Care System now offers a remedy, online registration.

From X-rays to heart surgery, patients can register over the Internet for procedures offered at all Methodist hospitals. Methodist is the first healthcare provider in the Houston area to offer this service. In addition to registering for procedures, patients can obtain a physician referral or schedule doctor's appointments.

Steve Gilbert, Methodist manager of admitting services and patient registration, says online registration expands the options patients have for accessing health care, and can eliminate an extra trip to the hospital before surgery.

"Patients have the chance to do things when it's convenient for them," says Gilbert. "We see this as a way to improve the patient's healthcare experience. When they're ready to access the system, we're ready to serve them."

Prospective patients receive an immediate confirmation that their e-mail has been received. Staff members in the scheduling office open e-mails throughout the day and as soon as they arrive each morning. They verify information with a doctor and schedule the procedure time. Patients receive appointment confirmation within 24 hours.

Registration is available in English and Spanish and patients can receive directions and pre/post procedure instructions via e-mail, such as "no food after midnight."

Methodist Health Care System Webmaster Erin Skelley says that only about eight percent of hospitals and clinics in the United States offer online registration for doctor's appointments and even fewer offer online registration for hospital procedures. The Methodist Web site logs approximately 130,000 visits each month.

"Everyone has hectic schedules these days," says Skelley. "This way patients register when it's convenient for them. There's no waiting on the phone or in person."

To make an appointment, obtain a physician referral or schedule a procedure at The Methodist Hospital, Diagnostic Center Hospital, San Jacinto Methodist Hospital or Methodist Health Center - Sugar Land, access the Methodist Web site at http://www.methodisthealth.com.

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