People just like you! HMSA’s Online Care users reflect all walks of life, in age, gender and ethnicity. HMSA members and nonmembers, women and men, and even children (with a guardian) have used HMSA’s Online Care since its launch in January.

Over the past few months, we have seen patterns emerge among the most frequent users of Online Care: 63 percent are female, 62 percent are between 26-45 years old, and 79 percent of conversations happen with internal medicine or family physicians.

Meet a Patient

Meet a Doctor

Enrollment and conversation growth

Since launch, nearly 4,000 patients have enrolled in HMSA’s Online Care and more than 20 percent of them have already engaged with physicians in live encounters on a wide variety of medical issues and across 23 specialties. The numbers continue to grow and average daily calls have grown by a rate of 30 percent since launch. More than 40 percent of conversations resulted in a prescription.

How do users rate the service?

85 percent of consumers and 89 percent of physicians rate their Online Care experience “excellent” or “good.” Patients rate their interaction with the Online Care physician even more highly, with 90 percent of patients rating their experience with the doctor as “excellent” or “good.”

When are they using Online Care?

Online Care visits happen 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Working hours and evening hours each represent 43 percent of the conversations. Online Care use peaks between 10-11 a.m., and 7-8 p.m.

Patients throughout Hawaii have embraced Online Care

Since January, patients from six islands have used Online Care. Patients from Oahu represent 77 percent of the total conversations, the Big Island represents 14 percent, Maui represents 7 percent, and Kauai, Lanai and Molokai represent just over 2 percent together. Importantly, patients from the six islands are speaking to physicians from Oahu, the Big Island, Maui and Kauai.

What types of issues are discussed?

Patients use Online Care to address a range of issues, from acute needs to questions about their health. Upper respiratory issues and infections are the most common issues raised by patients; complaints of fever and diarrhea are also common. More recently, some patients have used Online Care to ask questions about H1N1 (swine) flu.

Common issues:

• Acute Bronchitis
• Acute Sinusitis
• Cough
• Acute Pharyngitis
• Nausea

• Urinary Tract Infection
• Hypertension
• Allergic Rhinitis
• Viral Illness
• Insomnia

• Acute Conjunctivitis
• Strep Throat
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Contact Dermatitis