UNC Healthy Heels

UNC has a long tradition of being first, starting with being the FIRST public university opened in the United States. Well here is another one to add to the list—UNC’s Campus Health Services is the first in the nation to offer Online Nurse Advice, an online service designed to help students make better medical decisions! And get this- the app was even developed by a fellow Tarheel, Masters in Information Science student Oakkar Oakkar.

After learning that nearly 90% of college students look online for health information, only to find sites like WebMD, which don’t provide personal guidance Oakkar and his team at Keona Health began work to develop a better system. The result- Online Nurse Advice! An online app where students can easily get personalized advice from medical professionals. With  accurate, personalized advice students come away with a clearer understanding and action plan. Are their symptoms more or less serious? What kind of treatment should they seek? Where should they seek treatment? Additionally, not only do the the medical professionals providing information tailor their reponses based on symtpoms, but can provide information on resources here at  at UNC! No more shleping through the piles of internet information, o more long waits in the doctor’s office.  just one simple internet app! This is great news considering…

1. Roughly 20 percent of student’s health issues can be solved without an appointment.  There are often first steps you can take right from home.
2. The average appointment in the US takes 41 minutes (23 minutes waiting and 18 minutes with the doctor). And that’s not including the travel and re-scheduling that’s necessary. Of course, when you really need to see a doctor, it’s worth it! If you just have a question, ask a nurse online.
3.  The average time in the emergency waiting room is 4 hours. And the average emergency bill is nearly $1,000! Most Online Nurse Advise responses are within 15 minutes, and it’s free!

So, how does it work? The app is super easy to use. If you have a question you can visit Online Nurse Advice. Where you’ll first asked to enter your Onyen and password. From there, you’ll see a next see a page explaining the precautions taken by the site to protect your health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, called HIPPA for short. (Want to learn more about HIPPA, check out Human Health Services’s webpage). If you’re comfortable with the terms of service, “Agree.” From there you’ll be asked for your contact information (so the nurse can get their response to you!). From there, you’ll be taken to a form that should seem pretty familiar- it asks for information on medications, allergies, ect. as well as your specific complaint/question. Make sure to fill this out as fully and accurately as possible, this is the information the nurse will use to formulate your personalized advice! Once you’ve done all that a campus health nurse will get back to you promptly!

Please keep in mind, the Online Nurse Advice app is currently running for non-urgent problems during business hours Monday-Friday only. If you submit your question now, you will likely receive a response from a nurse by the next business day. Caregivers and friends should not fill it out for the patient. For urgent problems, call the Campus Health Center at (919) 966-2281, or call 911 for emergencies.

So the next time you’re feeling a little ill, try this Online Nurse Advice before you schedule your appointment.