Ohio University's Hudson Health Center is taking steps toward a digital future with a new Web portal, which will allow online scheduling as early as this summer.
Students will be able to log in to make medical appointments, said Interim Director of Student Health Services Jackie Legg, although walk-in appointments will still be available.
Something we want to always continue to have for the students is an opportunity on any given day if they're not well to just walk in and be able to be seen
she said.
Besides scheduling a time to see a doctor or nurse practitioner, students will be able to request appointments with specific physicians, cancel appointments and search for the next available time slots for future visits.
This feature will be very helpful for students with full schedules and will possibly cut down on long wait times, Legg said. However, after Hudson's computer system was hacked in 2006, one of the main concerns with this feature is security.
We have been working. It is not something that you can do lightly. Security is an issue she said, adding, We are working with IT and the OU security department to make sure that this is designed and developed that it will meet all the requirements of the Privacy Act.
OIT Communications Manager Sean O'Malley said that security is a major part of this designing process.
We're going to make sure that this thing meets all requirements
he said, adding that he could not discuss details of how the portal would be protected for security reasons.
Legg said the system will most likely authenticate students using their OAK ID
and password.
The Web portal is also a step toward the digitalization of medical record keeping. All of Hudson's medical documents will be scanned into the system and all medical record keeping will be electronic by September.
PresidentBarack Obama has advocated plans to transition the U.S. to electronic record keeping, especially for veterans. This type of system would keep information such as medical history in one digital location, to prevent records from being damaged or lost, and to cut down on hassles of transferring information.
Hudson has been designing its system with this trend in mind, but is taking 'baby steps. Legg said students will eventually be able to put records like immunization information and health history online
with access to those records from their home computer.
We have some learning to do with it, she said.
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28742,2009-06-25 06:32:00,Housing causes structural worries,With a tilted structure
missing shingles and windows that likely pre-date WWII
Ohio University junior Stuart Solomon's living situation is less than ideal - or sturdy.,With a tilted structure
missing shingles and windows that likely pre-date WWII
Ohio University junior Stuart Solomon's living situation is less than ideal - or sturdy.
We have a couple of rooms that are death traps, said his roommate Jeremy Hume
a junior studying international politics.
Students piled on 100-year-old floorboards built on shaky soil could spell disaster for many off-campus houses in Athens.
Our biggest concern without question is overloading, said John Paszke
director of Athens Code Enforcement.
Seeing pictures of Palmerfest with dozens of people on roofs and even more standing underneath
