Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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Specialties Family Practice Medical care for adults and children, including physicals, diagnosis and treatmement of acute and chronic illness, preventive care. Care Philosophy A New Type of Medical Practice on Longboat Most Longboat Key residents may remember when our family doctor came to the house to dispense advice, medication, and comfort when we were ill. I want to restore this type of care, and have established my own version of this old style family practice on Longboat. The emphasis is on open access and a personal touch to life's common medical needs. Open access means no waiting around at the doctor's office. A patient can call and receive a visit from me the same day. I've spent most of my medical career in a traditional office based practice. The pressures of having an office detract from the joy of helping people. There always seemed a need for volume to meet those overhead expenses. What I want is to practice medicine for the pleasure of it. I wondered how I could give patients the time I felt they needed and still maintain the office? The answer was obvious. Eliminate the office! No hoops to jump through, no barriers between doctor and patient. It was the office that required seeing a large number of patients. Once that overhead expense was eliminated I could see far fewer patients, spend more time with each, and charge less than an office-based practitioner. It seemed the perfect solution. And so "Dr. Brand at your door" was born. What can a patient expect from a house call? Physicals, diagnosis and treatment of acute illness, care of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, osteoporosis screening and treatment. Tests that can be done in the home include strep screen (test for strep throat), urine test for infection, test for blood in stool, electrocardiogram, pulse oximetry (oxygen saturation),test for influenza, pap test, body mass index (BMI), and coronary heart disease risk calculation. I want to be in close contact with my patients and if a home visit is not appropriate, you will be told that before you schedule an appointment. My goal is simple: to give you direct access to your family doctor with personal service. Staff Information Andrea L. Brand,MD board certified family physician Jeffrey Bernard,practice manager Online Consultation and Secure Messaging Registration Instructions As a patient of Dr. Andrea Brand, you have the option of communicating with your physician via this website in the form of a "secure message." Unlike regular e-mails, secure messages are confidential and ensure that access to the information is restricted to the patient and the physician. We hope this web site will serve as a resource for medical information as well as a tool for efficient communication with our office. The following instructions will guide you through the registration process for our online solutions. FOR NEW PATIENTS: 1. Click on My Patient Page 2. Click on Create an Account in the patient login box. 3. Create your user ID and password and complete your registration. You will receive an e-mail confirmation when your registration is "active." Your registration request will be processed promptly and you will receive a message to that effect in the inbox of your regular e-mail account. HOWEVER, DEPENDING ON YOUR PHYSICIAN'S MAILBOX SETUP, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEND A SECURE MESSAGE TO THE PHYSICIAN UNTIL YOU RECEIVE A SECOND E-MAIL MESSAGE, CONFIRMING THE ACCEPTANCE OF YOUR REQUEST BY YOUR DOCTOR. Once you receive this second e-mail confirmation message, you can send a message to your physician by clicking "Log in" on the home page, entering the "User ID" and "Password" and clicking "Continue". Then simply select "Send or Check Messages" to go to the Messages Menu. Please remember that, because secure messages are not answered immediately, this method of communication is not suitable for an emergency situation. In case of an emergency, please dial the 24-hour office phone number:941-504-2725 . Also note that only established patients of are eligible for this service. How to start using Secure Messaging and Online Consultation Access to Secure Messaging and Online ConsultationTM is available through registration on this web site. After you register the office will confirm that you are an established patient and then activate your Online Consultation privileges. This process may take up to 2 business days. You will receive an email confirmation when your registration is "active." You will also be presented with a "Terms of Service" agreement, which explains our (both yours and mine) roles and responsibilities regarding online communication. Once you have accepted this agreement, you will have access to the secure section of my web site that allows you to request personalized medical advice online. Simply log in and follow the directions. Online ConsultationTM (Description) This service, for established patients, is available to obtain the individualized medical advice you need without having to come into the office. Obviously this only works for information sharing, not diagnosis and treatment. Access is available through registration on this site. After registering the office will confirm that you are an established patient and then activate your Online Consultation privileges. This process should take no more than one business day. You will receive an email confirmation when your registration is "active." You will also be presented with a "Terms of Service" agreement, which explains your responsibilities and my responsibilities regarding online communication. Once you have accepted this agreement, you will have access to the secure messaging service and can request personalized medical advice online. Just log in and follow the directions. There may be a fee of 30 dollars for using Online Consultation, which will be charged to your credit card if I determine that your question can be adequately addressed on line and provide a response. If I feel that the topic can NOT be adequately addressed in this manner, you will receive a reply to that effect, and your credit card will NOT be charged. The difference between this service and regular email is that this is secure and encrypted communication that conforms to the new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that was signed into law on August 21, 1996 and went into effect in April 2003. Among other things, the law encourages the development of a health information system through the establishment of regulations and requirements for the confidential and secure electronic transmission of certain health information. Using this system to communicate with me means that your email message is deposited behind a confidential "firewall" where my e-mail reply to you is also deposited. You access this "safe" area directly from my website, www.DrBrand.mymedfusion.com You can do so from any computer throughout the world, even when you are away from home. Secure Messaging (Description) This service is for established patients. If you wish to be a new patient of mine, please call and speak to me ( 941-504-2725 ) as we must obtain specific information from you to help meet your needs. Secure messaging works a lot like email and can be used to request appointments, prescription refills, or to ask me a general question. It is not a substitute for an office visit or a confidential Online Consultation (see "Online Consultation"). Messages are checked daily and must not be used for urgent matters. This service is different from email in that it is secure and encrypted communication that conforms to the new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that was signed into law on August 21, 1996 and goes into effect in April 2003. Among other things, the law encourages the development of a health information system through the establishment of regulations and requirements for the confidential and secure electronic transmission of certain health information. Using this system to communicate with me means that your e-mail message is deposited behind a confidential "firewall" where my e-mail reply to you is also deposited. You access this "safe" area directly from the website, . You can do so from any computer throughout the world, even when you are away from home. You must register and log in to use this service. After registering I will confirm that you are an established patient of mine and will then activate your secure email privileges. This process may take up to 2 business days. You will receive an email confirmation when your registration is "active." Complete Health Asessessment Your comprehensive health assessment includes medical history, family history, medication review, allergy history, social history, review of systems, lifestyle, and physical examination in the context of your present health and risk for developing some common medical conditions. This is also an opportunity for us to discuss ways for you to maintain your health. I will recommend lab tests to complete your health assessment. Online consultations Our online consultation service enables you get medical advice, treatment updates, and "virtual follow up" on your medical condition at your convenience, in the privacy of your home and at reduced cost. This service is for established patients (those who have seen the doctor). To use this service, please register as a "new user" on the home page. This will enable you to log in. For more information about online consultations, please call our office at 941-504-2725 or 941-383-6422 or click on "Online Consult Details" on this website. Wellness Plan Our wellness plan gives you a personalized program for maintaining your health. It begins with a comprehensive health assessment, including medical history, family history, dietary and lifestyle review, cognitve screening, cancer and cardiac risk factor review, physical examination, and laboratory screening. Part two of the wellness plan consists of your customized plan to improve and maintain your health, which includes an exercise prescription, dietary recommendations,and a plan to reduce your risk for heart disease,cancer,diabetes,and osteoporosis. Part three is followup on your health. You will receive followup visits at three and six months to assess your progress with lifestyle, dietary, exercise and disease prevention strategies. We can design your wellness plan around your schedule. Call 941-504-2725 for more information. Contact Dr. Brand Please call me at: 941-383-6422 or 941-504-2725 (cell) Fax 941-383-4746 email DrBrandLBK@yahoo.com Fax 941-383-4746 For Physicians and NP's Start your own house call practice! Does giving patients the time they need and delivering personalized care to people appeal to you? A house call micro practice - no office, minimal overhead expense, and a rediscovery of the joy of practicing medicine - can be a way to get off the treadmill of a high volume office practice. I have done the legwork for you, and have created an easy to follow witten business plan, supplemented with email and telephone support. Please contact me to help you start your own house call practice. It's easier than you think! email DrBrandLBK@yahoo.com Publications "Daddy: the search for my father" is the story of the journey leading to my medical practice, beginning with me at age six at my father's bedside. If you have suffered a loss of someone dear or are looking for a closer relationship with our creator, I think you will find a friend in "Daddy." Trace the path that winds through the relationships that shaped me-family, friends, patients, God. "Daddy is available through Amazon.com, Manatee County Public Library, and directly through me ( email me at DrBrandLBK@yahoo.com) Top 100 Home Based Businesses  Dr Brand at Your Door has been awarded Honorable Mention in the 2008 Top 100 Home Based Businesses Competition. Sponsored by startupnation.com, the judges selected the top 100, based on the owner's passion for the business, creativity, and votes from visitors to the startupnation.com website. Dr Brand at Your Door earned honors in the "Most Innovative" category |
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