Beginning in September, all UAMS faculty and staff enrolled in a University of Arkansas medical plan (Point of Service, Classic or Indemnity) can take part in the eDocAmerica program free of charge. The program will provide UAMS employees with access to a doctor via the Internet, allowing them and family members to ask physicians medical questions of any sort. The physicians, many of whom are on staff at UAMS, will provide an e-mail response to requests within 24 hours, although most replies will be made within 3 to 4 hours.

The online service was founded by Dr. Charles W. Smith, executive associate dean for Clinical Affairs in the College of Medicine. It originated in the UAMS BioVentures program and currently serves more than 140,000 employees at 266 companies around the country.

Besides offering medical advice, eDocAmerica also provides its members with health tips, delivered via e-mail every week. Those employees without Internet access can still utilize the Nurse Call Advice Line, which is open 24 hours a day, at 1-866-842-5365. The online staff are not allowed to prescribe medications, however, under Arkansas Medical Board regulations.

All information communicated through the eDocAmerica Web site, http://edocamerica.com/, is considered confidential; the Web site is equipped with appropriate security and is HIPAA compliant.

"A number of trips to the doctor would not be necessary if you could communicate with a doctor ahead of time," Smith said. "There’s a myriad of things people can use eDocAmerica for, questions about medications, how to lose weight…they may have questions about a recent office visit, they may need some clarification about treatment of a medical condition and it’s sometimes hard to get in touch with their doctor. We can make some suggestions, offer a second opinion or simply reinforce what their doctor is doing to treat their condition."

Employees wanting to register for eDocAmerica simply need to log onto http://edocamerica.com/, click on "Registration", enter their last name and birthdate and then follow the easy instructions. For more information about the program, call eDocAmerica at 907-7117 (or 1-866-525-3362 toll-free outside Little Rock) or visit with them in person at the Benefits Fair to be held on Nov. 20 in the Jeff Banks Student Union. Information is also available through the UAMS Office of Human Resources Web site at http://uams.edu/ohr or by calling 686-5650.