Army Medicine beneficiaries can now conveniently communicate online with their primary care providers via secure messaging.

Army Medicine Secure Messaging Service, powered by RelayHealth, brings your health care team to you, wherever you are, any time of the day. This site allows you to communicate with your doctor through secure email about non-urgent health care matters so your doctor or other members of your health care team can respond during business hours.

Through AMSMS, you can contact your primary care clinic to do the following:

• Ask questions and receive advice about non-urgent health concerns at your convenience

• Request appointments and referrals, even when your doctor's office is closed, so your clinic can respond and/or schedule them during business hours

• Easily renew prescriptions

• Request laboratory and other test results, with an explanation from your doctor or other care team member attached, when appropriate

• Avoid unnecessary office visits and telephone calls

• Access valuable, medically reviewed health education information about a full range of health care topics and access links to doctor-recommended information and sites

This messaging service is a secure portal that is compliant with the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Encryption technology and a stringent privacy policy protect patient information more securely than either the telephone or regular email. Information is only accessible by patients and their health care team.

AMSMS was launched to benefit patients through:

• Increased access to their medical care team

• Faster, more successful communication

• Asynchronous communication so provider and patient can communicate on different timelines when convenient

Active involvement in care as a patient safety strategy by providing educational materials about topics important to overall health and medical services, gives patients the ability to access and add to their personal health record.

AMSMS doesn't only benefit patients. Providers and staff members can communicate their messages without interrupting the patient's day or requiring a return phone call. Nurses can spend less time on the phone and more time with patients when they can answer questions or arrange appointments or referrals through secure email.

This is a free and easy to use service. The benefits include decreased holding times waiting to speak with a team member.

To join Kenner Army Health Clinic's secure messaging system service, complete a registration form when checking in at your next appointment.