Expediting check in - "E check in" - Hmm

needshave

needshave

Member
Location
Ohio
I'm very active in the restoration of properties and vehicles. I was diagnosed with terrible deposits of arthritis in both thumb joints, about a year ago. She advised that being active each and every day was what was saving me. Recently I have found excessive pain in other fingers, the palm and forearm. My Hand and Upper Extremity doctor (surgeon) feels that I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in both hands and has prescribed for me to visit a specialistic that will diagnose and map any pinched nerves and carpal ligaments in my wrists and hands. Thats all well and good and the two agencies are departments within a very large advanced university. Well known for their expertise.
However, Of all the doctors I have ever used, no one has ever asked me to take pictures of all my health, insurance cards and I.D. or drivers license and upload it to their website to expedite or complete their "E" check in. To me, it just seems wrong. I know people/companies claim their websites are secure, but something just seems wrong with this whole approach. Your thoughts?
I have refused and advised I will provide information when I appear for my appointment.
 

needshave said:
I'm very active in the restoration of properties and vehicles. I was diagnosed with terrible deposits of arthritis in both thumb joints, about a year ago. She advised that being active each and every day was what was saving me. Recently I have found excessive pain in other fingers, the palm and forearm. My Hand and Upper Extremity doctor (surgeon) feels that I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in both hands and has prescribed for me to visit a specialistic that will diagnose and map any pinched nerves and carpal ligaments in my wrists and hands. Thats all well and good and the two agencies are departments within a very large advanced university. Well known for their expertise.
However, Of all the doctors I have ever used, no one has ever asked me to take pictures of all my health, insurance cards and I.D. or drivers license and upload it to their website to expedite or complete their "E" check in. To me, it just seems wrong. I know people/companies claim their websites are secure, but something just seems wrong with this whole approach. Your thoughts?
I have refused and advised I will provide information when I appear for my appointment.
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I see the same doctors all the time and each time give all the information you mentioned.
 

Aneeda72 said:
I see the same doctors all the time and each time give all the information you mentioned.
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Certainly they need that information, I understand that, but the process of providing pictures of the actual card as well as my id on line is the troubling issue for me. I dont have an issue of giving it to the doctors office in person, I do that with other doctors, but I have never been asked to post it to their website.
 
I also refuse to give doctors' offices my Social Security Number -- even the new version SSN. As far as I know, they really don't need it.
 
I think it's wise of you to insist on providing the information in person. Realistically, they do need all your insurance cards in order to bill for the treatment you receive. At the clinic I go to, they ask us to provide a picture ID at each appointment, and I do understand that this is in aid of preventing insurance fraud and complying with government regulations.

However, my issue here is that they asked you to upload it to your computer and then send it to them. That process leaves you vulnerable to hackers at both ends during the transmission process. We can't avoid giving personal info to people who legitimately need it, but I think it should be handled in the most secure way possible. This was a good decision on your part.
 
Wise decision to wait. Even if they had it ahead of time, they’d probably ask to see it all again when you arrived.
 
I did the E-Check in to see a doctor where I go. I uploaded my insurance card and my driver's license and filled out the other necessary things online and then I didn't have to do it when I got to the clinic. That saved me a lot of time. I didn't have to give my SS number.
 
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Ruthanne said:
I did the E-Check in to see a doctor where I go. I uploaded my insurance card and my driver's license and filled out the other necessary things online and then I didn't have to do it when I got to the clinic. That saved me a lot of time.
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Certainly that is the intent, and I'm sure from a time standpoint, it would take less time than for the staff to take my cards and copy them. I figure it is going to be less work for the staff at the time of my appointment if I upload everything, but I figure I will be there the same amount of time and I just don't want to take the risk of that information being used by others and then resulting in even more of my time and money trying to explain that it wasn't really me imposing that very large expenditure..
 
needshave said:
However, Of all the doctors I have ever used, no one has ever asked me to take pictures of all my health, insurance cards and I.D. or drivers license and upload it to their website to expedite or complete their "E" check in. To me, it just seems wrong. I know people/companies claim their websites are secure, but something just seems wrong with this whole approach. Your thoughts?
I have refused and advised I will provide information when I appear for my appointment.
Click to expand...
I feel the same way, I'm not in such a hurry to check in that I can't provide the documents needed when I'm at the doctor's office. I don't trust putting too much personal info on the web unless necessary. Unfortunately, I think everything you provide them just goes into their computer system anyway. Any computer can be hacked, luckily I've never had anything like that happen to me so far.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I feel the same way, I'm not in such a hurry to check in that I can't provide the documents needed when I'm at the doctor's office. I don't trust putting too much personal info on the web unless necessary. Unfortunately, I think everything you provide them just goes into their computer system anyway. Any computer can be hacked, luckily I've never had anything like that happen to me so far.
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Personally, when I go to the clinic I want to spend as little time in lines with others as possible because some of them have their mask half on or under their noses. So I want to get the heck away from them asap. The e-check in was a relief to me to spend less time there. If you do any online shopping or banking some of your personal information is stored, too.

Any site can get hacked....I just don't worry about that. I mostly trust that the people I deal with online have secured sites.
 
Well, personally I don't worry about most of it. Just that they have my birthdate (okay by me) but I don't want to give up my Social Security Number. That said, I don't give my SSN to the doctor's office anyway, so ...
 
Ruthanne said:
Personally, when I go to the clinic I want to spend as little time in lines with others as possible because some of them have their mask half on or under their noses. So I want to get the heck away from them asap. The e-check in was a relief to me to spend less time there. If you do any online shopping or banking some of your personal information is stored, too.

Any site can get hacked....I just don't worry about that. I mostly trust that the people I deal with online have secured sites.
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Our doctor's Office is unique only that we are text or called when it is our time to go into the office. We are the only one in the waiting room. Once we are processed and have been taken to one of the doctors visitation rooms, the next person is texted and they are buzzed in. It makes it very nice, not a lot of contact.
 
needshave said:
Our doctor's Office is unique only that we are text or called when it is our time to go into the office. We are the only one in the waiting room. Once we are processed and have been taken to one of the doctors visitation rooms, the next person is texted and they are buzzed in. It makes it very nice, not a lot of contact.
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That's very good. It's not that way to the large clinic I go to. Many are seated in the waiting areas although they are supposedly socially distanced--I didn't see 6 feet between people. I'd rather go to a smaller, safer place which is not where I go. I'm not going back till the vaccine is here and I get it.
 
Ruthanne said:
That's very good. It's not that way to the large clinic I go to. Many are seated in the waiting areas although they are supposedly socially distanced--I didn't see 6 feet between people. I'd rather go to a smaller, safer place which is not where I go. I'm not going back till the vaccine is here and I get it.
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I totally understand. This is a very large network of Doctors which is part of a very prominent University hospital. They set up a network of offices around the city in 20 mile intervals, with the hospital being the nucleus. It was intended to be a temporary solution to the pandemic but it has received wide spread acceptance so they are planning to keep most to the offices and continue operations in this manner. I really like it. You always see people in their cars waiting.
I'm not sure what Im going to do about the vaccine. I know I dont want to be the first. I suspect that in this area, there will be some sort of shut down or reduction in businesses that can remain open, only because people will not wear masks. Those that do, wear it so its below their nose and others I have seen with it around their neck. It's a sad thing that people just won't wear a mask, its not that big of a thing. Sorry,,... Venting..
 
Ruthanne said:
Personally, when I go to the clinic I want to spend as little time in lines with others as possible because some of them have their mask half on or under their noses. So I want to get the heck away from them asap. The e-check in was a relief to me to spend less time there. If you do any online shopping or banking some of your personal information is stored, too.
Click to expand...
I agree and see where you're coming from. I wasn't really thinking about the coronavirus issue, things are different these days for sure. I won't go near a doctor's office unless absolutely necessary now. Last time I was at the dentist was in early March, I had a temporary crown and they said I needed to come in for the permanent one. They were very sterile and I was the only patient there.
 
I know what you mean. E-check in was offered by my primary care doctor's office which I am very familiar with. But I stopped the online registration when uploading a copy of my driver's license was requested. My doctor is affiliated with a larger network of doctors who are under the umbrella of a large hospital in another town. So I don't know on how many servers that information would wind up. Rather than provide all that information online, I'll just fill out the paperwork, when necessary, in the office....where they've never requested to make a copy of my license.
 
needshave said:
I'm very active in the restoration of properties and vehicles. I was diagnosed with terrible deposits of arthritis in both thumb joints, about a year ago. She advised that being active each and every day was what was saving me. Recently I have found excessive pain in other fingers, the palm and forearm. My Hand and Upper Extremity doctor (surgeon) feels that I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in both hands and has prescribed for me to visit a specialistic that will diagnose and map any pinched nerves and carpal ligaments in my wrists and hands. Thats all well and good and the two agencies are departments within a very large advanced university. Well known for their expertise.
However, Of all the doctors I have ever used, no one has ever asked me to take pictures of all my health, insurance cards and I.D. or drivers license and upload it to their website to expedite or complete their "E" check in. To me, it just seems wrong. I know people/companies claim their websites are secure, but something just seems wrong with this whole approach. Your thoughts?
I have refused and advised I will provide information when I appear for my appointment.
Click to expand...
Well I just had my doctors appointment, reference the stated prerequisite of information required for the doctors appointment, stated above.
I went to the appointment armed with Id, all my med information, allergy information, med. insurance cards and prescription card. Went expecting to fill out reams of information stating all my health risks, etc. etc. before I was allowed to see the doctor.
I was asked my name, my birthdate, if I have been out of the country in the last 30 days and if I had medicare with a supplemental.....That was it! I told the nurse I sent information that I had to send pictures of insurance cards, id etc to your website on line, You don't need that? She said" No, thats only on line"

As I turned and walked away, I thought to myself:
"what"
I set down, I was the only one there, and I was in the treatment room in less than 5 minutes.
 

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