TRICARE Online (TOL) Patient Portal will make access easier and quicker for site users, according to Defense Health Agency (DHA) officials.

"The goal is to empower patients with tools to control their health care," explained Col. Rich Wilson, chief, Solution Delivery Division, a component of the DHA J6-Health Information Technology Directorate. "TOL has made tremendous performance and capability improvements over the years. The TOL Patient Portal puts the patient at the center with simplified access to appointments, prescriptions, medical records, secure messaging, etc.

More than 675,000 beneficiaries regularly access TOL to perform a wide range of health care functions, including scheduling appointments at military hospitals and clinics, accessing Department of Defense and Veterans Administration personal health data, and requesting prescription refills. Recent improvements to the patient portal include updates to the TOL log-in and home pages featuring cleaner, visually appealing designs and directional graphics which make it easier for users to quickly find and link to specific TOL Patient Portal information and services.

The upgrades are the first of a two-phased process to improve the TOL Patient Portal user experience. Improvements planned for Phase 2 include implementing mobile access, redesigning TOL modules, and expanding capabilities.

Phase 2 upgrades will also include a single sign-on for the Secure Message application, which enables patients to send secure email to their health care team. With the Phase 2 upgrades, users will no longer be required to log into secure messaging separately after logging into the TOL Patient Portal.

To view TOL Patient Portal upgrades, visit http://www.tricareonline.com.

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