HMSA: 24/7 Online Doctor Visit

Early response: Am happy about receiving medical assistance without having to leave home. Occasional technical glitches. Not the best in informing users of updates that change the interface from an already-existing patient's perspective. I guess they depend on service providers (doctors) to inform patients of changes, but they, in turn, aren't kept informed either. 2019: Changed my rating from four to five but there is a major flaw with their survey form at the end of each session: NONE of the options they provide are a real choice for me so I totally resent having to “fake” an answer as my doctor is NOT available for me to see in person and I don’t need emergency care, etc!! So fix your survey form! 2020: A year later: no one seems to pay attention to suggestions that are more about the survey than the app itself: but the SURVEY is a crucial part of the feedback loop! If I’m forced into saying “I’d do NOTHING” it is not the same as my needing to see a provider who is NOT my doctor in Honolulu- nor is my case an “emergency “ so that option is moot in a therapy session. I depend on seeing my therapist but have no viable alternatives to respond within the app you have created!

HMSA Online allows me to connect with and keep appointments with professionals during the times that work for me, and from the convenience of my own space (wherever I happen to be in the islands, as long as my hotspot is working or I otherwise have internet. I really appreciate the flexibility this APP affords. Yes, there are some glitches in the system that sometimes interrupt the feed or drop the call, but the system often reconnects me by itself. And if that doesn’t happen, my provider simply sends me a new invitation for "60 seconds from now" and we reconnect by stating another session (but still billed as one session, I'm not asked for another copay.) I really appreciate the ability to schedule with whom I want, whether or not they and/or I happen to be on the Big Island on any particular day. As long as the provider is licensed in Hawaii (and and providing services thru HMSA Online,) I can have an appointment with them without actually leaving home (or flying to another island) to go to their office. It saves us both time, saves me money, and gives me much more access (and to different specialists) than I would normally have living on the Big Island.

Thanks to the HMSA Online APP I got to keep on seeing my regular psychologist that I’ve been seeing for years. When my psychologist moved to Virginia a few years back, I was worried I would have to find a new doctor. I was not looking forward to that, because the doctor I was seeing for years, is a very good psychologist, & I really felt comfortable with him. But thanks to the HMSA Online APP, I am able to keep seeing my psychologist, even if he lives in Virginia, & I live here in Hawaii. I see him every week, just like if he was still here in Hawaii. And the great thing about this is, I don’t have to drive anywhere, find a parking, walk & wait for the elevator. I just relax in the comfort of my bedroom, & when it’s my appointment time, I click on the APP, go through the process of logging in, then visit with my doctor (face to face), just like if I were visiting with him in person! Thanks HMSA Online for this great APP, & for not making me have to give up a excellent doctor (Dr. Edward Bieda)!

I’ve used this system for years. Great to see someone to ask for care instead of going to an office for minor things. As a single parent being able to talk to a doctor late at night when my baby and toddler are sick or get a bump is great for piece of mind. Even better for myself so I can do a visit while my daughter sleeps and not have to deal with both of us being cranky in the waiting room. Obviously you have to go in if you need specific tests or procedures but this is great for the minor stuff or to get advice if it’s worth going in for examinations or tests.

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The first two available doctors I chose, rejected me because they were only accepting established patients. The app should say available only to established patients, so you don’t have to try multiple doctors then wait to be seen for nothing. I tried the next available doctor. The third available doctor that I tried, the app said I was the next patient to be seen. It indicated that I had a short wait. I waited over an hour and a half. I decided something must have gone wrong. I canceled the visit. I selected the next available doctor again. I got a good doctor quickly the fourth try, but she was in Maui. Her advice was good. I appreciated her help, but I live on Oahu so there is no chance of a physical visit. If the advice does not help, I will have to see another doctor for a physical visit.