STEP 1: Download the Healow App.

Our electronic medical records system uses the Healow App to provide a secure messaging and information portal for our patients. You will need the app to participate in a TeleHealth visit.

• Healow in the iTunes Store.
• Healow in the Google Play Store.
• Use Practice Code “GIJCAA” to link your account with Family Care.

STEP 2: Schedule an Appointment

Call us at 919-544-6461, send a request through your patient portal account, or complete this email request form to set up a time for your appointment. We offer two types of remote appointments:

1. Phone Consultation. This is an audio-only phone call between you and your provider. This is used for consultations that do not require a physical or visual exam.
2. TeleHealth. This is a video chat between you and your provider. This requires the patient to be on a device with a camera, speakers, and using an internet connection.

There is generally no cost difference between choosing either option, but some insurers have strict requirements for the diagnoses that are covered under TeleHealth.

STEP 3: Login to the App 30 minutes before your appointment.

After setting up your account and entering Practice Code “GIJCAA” to link your app to Family Care, you will be asked to provide your personal PIN to login. Once you login, you’ll visit your account’s main page.

If you do not remember your username or password, use the “Forgot Password” feature on the app or visit our portal’s main website to reset the information on a computer.

STEP 4: Click on the highlighted “Appointments” icon.

To Check-In for your visit, click on the top-middle “Appointments” button. This is the main screen for your Patient Portal account.

• Inbox: This contains all updates and messages from Family Care. If you have new lab results posted, or your provider sends you a message, or you receive a bill, your Inbox will have the notice.
• Medications: Lists your current medications and dosing instructions.
• Check-In: Complete forms and vitals for upcoming visits. This is duplicated in the Appointments screen for upcoming visits within the next 30 minutes.
• Find Appointment: This is completely useless. We wanted to allow more flexibility in scheduling than this app allowed, so we disabled this feature.
• Trackers: Helpful apps to track blood pressures, weights, and measurements.
• My Records: Summaries of previous encounters, diagnoses, medications, charges, etc.

STEP 5: Click “Check-In” for your next appointment.

This screen will list recent appointments (within the last 30 days) and all future appointments.

• Map Icon: For in-person visits, the Map icon sends you to your preferred Map app with the destination set to our office at 1413 Carpenter Fletcher Rd, Durham, NC, 27713.
• Check-In: Click this to advance to your upcoming video appointment.
• Phone Icon: Click this to call our office by phone at 919-544-6461. Use this if you have trouble with any of these steps and need support.
• Eye Icon: View details of this visit.
• Appointment Alerts: Schedule push notifications to remind you of upcoming appointments.

STEP 6: View the “Appointment Details” Screen

Once you have found your upcoming appointment and selected the “Check-In” option, you will be directed to a screen with details and notes. This is one reason to sign in early!

• Reminder: If you have upcoming appointments, you can always set additional reminder messages. Automatically, you will receive…
  • An email and portal notice 1-hour after making the appointment, so you can add the scheduled visit to any calendar or schedule you need.
  • A portal notice and a phone call 24-hours before the scheduled appointment time, to remind you of the visit.
  • A text message 22-hours before the scheduled appointment time, if you don’t answer the phone call.
• My Notes: Pre-populate questions and concerns that you have for your provider. Tips…
  • Make bullet-point lists. Separate by condition or medications. Ask every question you have about a certain topic, then move to the next topic. Visits are primarily billed based on face-to-face time with your provider, so being prepared helps keep the cost of your visit down, as well.
  • What questions do you have? You scheduled an appointment for a reason. Write that reason down! Write any problems or concerns you have, and definitely all of the things you are doing well! Document your successes, along with your problems. Write what you want to tell your provider, and then tell them during your appointment.
• Start Televisit. This becomes active within 15-minutes of your appointment’s start time. You will still need to enter vital signs, click this when you are ready to speak with your provider!

STEP 7: Enter your vital signs.

You have the option to leave fields blank, so please only complete items you have ACTUALLY measured. Do not guess! Just leave the field blank, if you are unsure. These values could impact your permanent medical record (spoken in the best elementary school principal voice you can imagine), so please make sure the values you enter have been verified.

If your visit is to diagnose an acute illness, please document your temperature and pulse rate. Enter these values as accurately as you can, with the average of multiple measurements. Please let your provider know of any struggles or inconsistencies you may have had with the documented results.

STEP 8: Wait in the Waiting Room!

You can enter the Waiting Room up to 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment. Click to Join, once the “Start TeleVisit” icon is enabled.

Because of our new, flexible schedule, we may be able to complete your visit early! The sooner you enter the TeleHealth waiting room (which opens 30 minutes before your visit), the sooner we can connect with you!

• Review Vitals: If you want to view or edit any of the optional vital information you entered on the last screen, tap here to edit.

STEP 9: Connect!

Once your provider joins the virtual Exam Room, you’re all set! Make sure your microphone and speakers are enabled, of course. After your visit, our front desk staff will call you within 24 hours to schedule recommended follow-up visits, notify you of referrals, verify instructions, and collect any co-payments or deductibles owed.

Alternative to Step 3: Click on the Text Reminder to join the TeleHealth visit on your App.

15 minutes before your TeleHealth visit, you will receive a text message, if you have not already joined the appointment. This message will have a link to your patient portal’s account and (basically) start you at Step 4. If you have already enabled the app and logged in once, this link is very helpful to quickly join an upcoming appointment and skip some of the preliminary registration screens.