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Enhancements to patient care

  • Published
  • 27th Special Operations Medical Group
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  While TRICARE Online and MiCare Secure Messaging may seem to offer similar services, there are several important differences to these software tools designed to enhance access to care for all military beneficiaries.

According to a recent article by the Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs office, both TRICARE Online and MiCare, allow beneficiaries to validate medication lists and obtain test results, including labs. Both systems can also help facilitate appointments.

TRICARE Online allows beneficiaries to schedule available appointments themselves, whereas with MiCare, beneficiaries can request appointments via secure messaging. Once the appointment request is made, clinic staff will schedule an appointment with the provider as soon as possible.

Another feature of TRICARE Online is that it allows patients to track their claims and deductibles, and to obtain proof of medical insurance. This is because TRICARE is for medical insurance coverage, and addresses issues and tasks related to activities that involve healthcare insurance.

MiCare, on the other hand, is focused on secure messaging communication between patients and their healthcare teams. To better apply this feature, the 27th Special Operations Medical Group is expanding its availability by utilizing the MiCare system to make it easier for beneficiaries to reach them, and would like to invite members to more actively use it.

Another unique feature of MiCare is the "Health Record" or "Personal Health Record." This tool can be used to collect, track and share past and current information of the beneficiary's health. For example, when referred to new off-base medical providers for care, the Personal Health Record is a source of health information which can prevent providers from repeating routine medical tests that have already been done and documented in the Personal Health Record. This feature enables off-base medical providers to have more insight into the personal health story of their patients.

Visit http://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/micare/ for more information on how to sign up. Those who have used MiCare before may have experienced continued technical and systemic improvements. In the past, a MiCare response time from the medical staff was 72-hours; it has now changed to a 24-hour response, excluding holidays and weekends.

Most significantly, providers will now have dedicated time each Thursday evening as part of the Cannon Air Force Base extended customer-service hours initiative, OPERATION THURSDAY, to review MiCare messages and respond to inquiries faster than the 24-hour window noted above.