It's 2 a.m. and you need a doctor. But do your symptoms warrant a trip to the emergency room - and who wants to wait for hours?

Hawaii Medical Service Association is offering an answer starting tomorrow via its new Online Care service for members and nonmembers. The new Microsoft system will give “;freedom and flexibility”; to doctors and patients alike, but it was also developed to reduce the crippling cost of medical care, said Michael B. Stollar, HMSA spokesman.

“;This will address people who do not have insurance but have to go to the ER for colds or coughs,”; he said. “;It costs hundreds of dollars.”;

The cost of such emergency room visits is absorbed by the hospitals and insurance companies, and eventually passed on to the consumer through higher rates, he said.

New Online Medical Care Connects Doctors, Patients

 

The new online care will allow patients to call or log on with a compter and connect with a Hawaii doctor live in real time.

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  The system will also provide “;revenue for doctors”; who now do not get paid for dispensing advice beyond office hours, Stollar added.

Residents in rural areas of the state who don't have easy access to physicians, especially on the neighbor islands, will benefit in particular from the online service.

But all patients will save time in finding the right doctor and waiting for appointments, driving or flying to see a specialist, and parking, he said.

“;Hawaii is ultimately a very rural state, and it's hard to find a doctor outside of Honolulu,”; particularly on short notice, Stollar said.

Patients can reach doctors during or after office hours through video hook-ups, instant messaging, or by calling a number that hooks them right into the system, he said. HMSA members and nonmembers must first register to receive log-in information; give basic medical history that doctors can access; and give their credit/debit card numbers.

Of its 1,500 HMSA physicians, more than 140 initially signed up in December, but others can join once the kinks are worked out. Some Kaiser Permanente doctors participate in e-mail consultations, but it's often a delayed response, versus the “;real time”; of Online Care, Stollar added.

HMSA patients will be charged $15 per 10-minute consultation, and $5 for an additional five minutes if necessary, he said.