Annapolis, MD -- (SBWire) -- 06/05/2014 --Patients can now go online to see test results and review their doctors’ instructions after their stay at Atlantic General Hospital. It is part of a years-long effort that started when the bariatric surgeons in Maryland decided they wanted to build an electronic medical record, and has continued with the creation of a digital connection with patients to share valuable health information.

It’s called the PERKS Portal. PERKS, which stands for Patient Electronic Record Keeping Service, is the electronic medical record Atlantic General launched in 2013. The goal of the PERKS Portal is to empower individuals to make better decisions and take appropriate action about their health and healthcare through the convenience of a user-friendly web site that puts the information they need right at their fingertips.

Atlantic General Hospital, one of the top surgery centers in Delaware, launched PERKS in January 2013. The system digitally links all documentation and physician orders for care throughout the inpatient and outpatient units of the hospital, including the doctors in Delaware and health system. So, no matter where a patient’s entry point or how many services received—for example, if he or she was treated by a urologist in Maryland—his or her caregiver has access to a full record updated in real time.

“Knowing your medical instructions is key to getting well as soon as possible,” said Colleen Wareing, vice president of patient care at Atlantic General Hospital. “If a patient loses the discharge instructions they were given when they left the hospital, it takes time and effort to request another copy. Often that time and effort become a barrier to securing the information people need to take care of themselves properly. A major component of the PERKS Portal is providing quick, easy access, in addition to tools that improve patient understanding of their condition.”

Any individual discharged from an inpatient or observation unit at the Delaware surgery center now receives an email invitation to register for their PERKS Portal account to view their discharge instructions, educational materials and results for lab and imaging tests.

Medical records captured since January 1, 2014 are available within the PERKS Portal. This is true as well for patients of Atlantic General Health System Maryland physicians, including the Maryland urology staff, who started sending email invitations to register for the PERKS Portal on May 1.

In addition to the ability to view lab and imaging test results, health system patients can request prescription refills, view vaccination records, request appointments, and send messages to their doctor’s office – all with a few clicks of a button. Medical apps that allow people to monitor blood pressure or blood glucose levels and perform other health management tasks are also available.

Questions regarding the portal can be directed to the PERKS Portal Helpdesk at 410-641-9977 or perksportal@atlanticgeneral.org.

About Atlantic General Hospital
Atlantic General Hospital has been providing quality health care to the residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Sussex Counties since May 1993. The scope of their programs, the qualifications of their medical staff and the quality of their facilities are only surpassed by the genuine warmth and concern of the hospital staff. For more information, please visit http://www.atlanticgeneral.org