Due to an abundance of unhealthy habits among college students, college students are often left with depleted immune systems. When the inevitable sickness strikes, student health centers across the nation work within limited resources to keep students healthy as well as treat them. With the advent of the Internet, many centers are turning to online services to better serve students who need help.
A system which would allow a few of the simplest but most common phone requests to be processed online would not only simplify student interaction, but ease staffing crunches. Universities nationwide are currently examining this online model.
The health center at Washington University in St. Louis has implemented a system to meet students’ health needs as well as accommodate their busy and unconventional schedules. Students can fill out a form online to refill a prescription, request an appointment, or receive lab results.
Deb Harp, associate director of Health Services at Washington University and a beneficiary of the ease of the Web services, said reaction has been quite favorable since the system was implemented last January. “Students have positively responded to all three services.” Harp said.
While most schools, including the University of Wisconsin, utilize automated call distribution systems rather than online services, returning phone calls can be time-consuming and difficult for employees. In addition, students complain of long waits and dropped calls, said Jonathan Zarov, communications manager for University Health Services.
Zarov said that, while UHS has recently overhauled its call system, Web service is the eventual goal. More specific instructions and centralized operators have all but eliminated voicemail phone tag and misdirected calls.
The major roadblock to implementing an online program on campuses across the nation is the possibility it might breach confidentiality laws. The system on the Washington University campus works in conjunction with MDHUB.com, a website that processes students’ requests. The website is entirely secure, according to Harp. However, a disclaimer on the website points out the e-mail systems to which lab results, appointment schedules, or prescription confirmations are sent may not be secure.
While University Health Services at Madison continues to work on putting a similar structure into place, privacy is again an issue of contention.
“Confidentiality is our most important issue here,” said Zarov.
The parties involved would like to balance confidentiality with the true goal of providing efficient health services. Zarov said working towards the goal of instilling a similar system on the Madison campus would be a valuable asset. “We know that it is an interest of UW, but it is something that needs to be thoughtfully and carefully [done],” Zarov said.
With continued work by the UHS staff and the support of the university, a Web-based program could increase the ease with which Madison students contact the organization, enable more rapid response by the staff, and generally make services more accessible to students. The benefits of this are far reaching, as students who are more inclined to visit UHS are also more likely to identify symptoms at a more curable stage.
The staff at the UHS awaits the completion of internal changeover from paper to electronic records and appointments. With a few changes to the current system, they seem cautiously optimistic about the future of Web services for Madison students.
