Spectrum Health Enhances Patient Portal

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spectrum Health has added four new features to its "MySpectrum" patient Web portal.

The additions enable users to set up a family account, access benefits and eligibility information from regional health plan Priority Health, view growth charts for children and access immunization records.

Under the family accounts, authorized users can access health information for family members under 12 years of age and 18 years or older. State and federal privacy laws limit the amount of information that can be released for children ages 12 to 17.

Previous functions available via the portal include the ability to view lab results, securely e-mail messages to physician offices, renew prescriptions, request appointments, preregister for certain procedures, pay hospital bills, access content on health topics, obtain pricing for common procedures, and track health conditions, allergies and medications.

The nine-hospital delivery system also offers a free smart phone application offering lab results, appointment scheduling, urgent care wait times and a medical symptoms checklist, among other content. More information is available at spectrumhealth.org.

--Joseph Goedert