By Veronica Schiebold

Correction: A previous version of this story included incorrect information about the launch date of the new service.

Aiming to improve patient safety and convenience, University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) will launch a new online medical records system at the beginning of the Summer I session.

Students will now be able to check the date and time of appointments, add or correct health history at any time, and receive messages when their lab results are available. There will be a link to the system and the UHCS website in the myNEU portal.

Dr. Roberta Berrien, executive director of UHCS, said the health center has used an electronic record for many years, but will be incorporating new features to enhance service and access.

“The Institute of Medicine as well as many other medical organizations are promoting the use of electronic records in the interest of patient safety,” she said.

There are several benefits to the new online system, including quicker notification of lab results and an easy way to complete and add to health histories, which are essential components of a clinical exam, Berrien said. Patient safety is enhanced by providing a secure way to access private medical information, she said.

Students will receive messages that lab results are available, and can then can call or go to UHCS to get further details, she said.

Since students can fill out much of the paperwork online, including health history, they will not have to fill out the papers once they get to the center.

The privacy of students is protected, because students access the electronic system through the password-protected myNEU portal, Berrien said.

UHCS officials hope in the future students will be able to schedule appointments through the system.

There were some minor setbacks in implementing the system, including security issues that UHCS is working on to safeguard patient privacy, but the site is set to be available this summer.

“We have to be careful about privacy, which is one reason we have gone through the student portal and one reason that we are not reporting specific lab results,” she said.

Students can contact UHCS through e-mail with questions or concerns about the new system at [email protected].