Patient Portal Guide: Best Practices, Policies, & Procedures

We love our Patient Portal and our patients do too! It’s a helpful resource for relaying information. As a patient at Sparrow Health & Performance, we ask that you utilize our Patient Portal.  But first, please familiarize yourself with the best practices & policies of the Patient Portal.

Best Practices:

When used appropriately, the Portal is a great tool for the following:

• Communicating with our clinical staff about non-urgent issues (see below for Communication Policy)
• Completing New Patient Paperwork
• Medical Records Transfer Form
• Reviewing test results
• Making Payments
• Reviewing problem lists, allergies etc.
• Updating personal information
• Sending questions re: billing, appointment scheduling, prior authorizations or other non-urgent administrative issues
• Requesting supplement or medication refills

Medical Advice on the Patient Portal:

1. The portal is not for medical advice on issues for which we have not recently seen you.  Even minor problems, if serious enough to warrant a question of a provider, deserve a visit. Our practice policy is that our medical advice requires a visit with one of our providers.
2. Patients are allowed three messages for the Provider per month pertaining to anything discussed during their Consultations. After that, the patient will be charged a $65 portal consult fee for any additional messages. Any new medical issues that warrant a question to the Provider, deserve a visit and a Follow-Up appointment or Acute Care “Sick Visit” should be scheduled. 
3. We only provide medical advice to our patients.  We cannot provide medical advice or care for family members or friends who are not our patients.  Please don’t use your portal account to make such requests.
4. Urgent issues should not be communicated via the portal.  If you have a medical emergency, dial 911. If you have an urgent issue requiring same day care, call the office during office hours. Portal messages will generally be replied to within two business days, excluding weekends and holidays.

 

Important Information:

• Prescription Refill Requests: Prescriptions will be called in within 24 hours of your appointment. Please ensure prescription refills are requested at least 7 days before your current prescription expires to avoid any interruptions.
• Supplement Refill Requests: Supplement refill requests will be ready for pickup or shipped within 24 hours of receipt on regular business days, unless the supplement is out of stock. If there is any delay, you will be notified promptly. (We are working toward providing the option to do a subscription to provide automatic refills in the future). 
• Medical Records Access: If you are over the age of 18, you must complete a Medical Records Access Permission Form prior to us being able to discuss PHI (Protected Health Information) with designated family members or friends.
• Form Fees: For any Medical Exemptions, Insurance Claims, or any additional forms needed outside of an appointment time, we will charge a $50 fee to complete those documents. What the Fee Covers: Provider’s time reviewing medical records and administrative processing (filing, scanning, etc.).

 

Our Communication Policy:

At Sparrow Health & Performance, we believe that mutual respect fosters the best possible healthcare experience. We’re committed to maintaining a positive, supportive environment for all patients and staff.

To ensure this, we kindly ask that all communication with our providers and team members, whether in person, over the phone, or via the Patient Portal, remains respectful and constructive.

While rare, situations involving inappropriate or abusive language, behavior, or threats will result in immediate suspension of portal access and potential termination of the patient-provider relationship. This policy helps us prioritize your care and ensures our team is able to assist everyone efficiently and compassionately.

Records:

Correspondences through the Patient Portal become part of the patient’s medical records and should pertain to medical related issues only. 

Security:

The patient’s Portal username and password are used to establish and verify a patient’s identity. Anyone who has access to both the username and password will have access to the patient’s information on the portal. A patient can change their password at any time via the portal. A patient should not share their username or password with anyone.

Privacy:

We hold patient privacy in the highest regard. Our clinic will never sell or market patient email addresses. Please view the Notice of Privacy Practices for more information on how private health information is handled in our facility. If you have any concerns, please contact our office at (205) 783-1020.

Patient Portal Guidelines:

How our Secure Patient Portal Works:

The Patient Portal is a HIPAA compliant webpage that uses encryption and other security measures designed to keep unauthorized persons from reading information or attachments. Secure information is designed to be read only by someone who knows the correct password to log in to the Patient Portal site.

How to Participate in our Patient Portal:

1. Register for our Patient Portal on the patient portal login page that can be found here: https://sparrowclinic.md-hq.com/registration. You can then use your username and password to login and access the Portal.
2. If you call or message us and are scheduled for an appointment, you will automatically be sent an Email inviting you to join our patient portal. This email will contain a One-Time link that will allow you to setup your username and password to then login to access your Patient Portal. NOTE: The link in your confirmation email will not allow you to setup your patient portal. If you try to register as a patient after setting up an appointment with us you will receive an error saying there is already another patient in our system with your information.
3. If you have any problems logging into your Portal, please give our office a call at (205) 783-1020 and we will be happy to assist.

Available Functionality on the Patient Portal:

1. Complete New Patient Paperwork and Consent Forms
2. Upload past labs or medical history documents
3. View or change your contact and insurance information
4. Use the secure messages system to communicate with your medical provider
5. Schedule a medical appointment
6. View your supplements/medications and request refills
7. View or update your allergies and intolerances
8. View and update basic vitals like blood pressure and weight
9. Designate a preferred pharmacy

 

NOTE: We will not answer medical questions or send protected health information by regular email.