Cheyenne Regional Medical Group to Offer Online Access to Medical Care for Common Conditions

October 2019

Cheyenne, WY—In early November Cheyenne Regional Medical Group will offer a program that provides online access to medical care for Cheyenne-area adults with common health conditions.

An affiliate of Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, CRMG will be the first and only medical group in Wyoming to offer the program, called SmartExam.

“With SmartExam a patient can be diagnosed, treated and receive a prescription often within an hour from their computer or mobile device,” said CRMG President Kerry Slater.

Patients using SmartExam will answer an online questionnaire about their current symptoms, medications and health history. Information will be reviewed by a CRMG physician or advanced practice provider, who provides a personalized diagnosis and treatment plan, including needed prescriptions.

If the clinician reviewing the questionnaire determines that the patient needs to be seen in person, CRMG will help the patient schedule an appointment with a primary care provider. Patients will not be charged the $40 per visit fee if they cannot receive care through SmartExam.

SmartExam will be available to adults who are established with a CRMG physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant and have an electronic medical record with CRMG. Information from the SmartExam questionnaire and any corresponding treatment will automatically be incorporated into the patient’s medical record.

“SmartExam should help us improve patient access, reduce wait times, help patients avoid unnecessary office visits and lower the overall cost of primary care for those who use the program,” Slater said.

SmartExam questionnaires will be available 24 hours a day through a person’s MyChart electronic medical record account with CRMG. A CRMG healthcare provider will be available to review the exam Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and weekends and holidays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The questionnaire typically takes five to 10 minutes to complete. A diagnosis and treatment plan can normally be delivered in under an hour if the questionnaire is sent during the review times. The patient is notified by email about the care plan.

“Unlike what happens with some online care companies, we will make sure SmartExam treatment is coordinated with the patient’s medical record and overall healthcare needs,” Slater said.

SmartExam, which is evidence-based, can help identify more than 350 conditions that make up between 30 and 60 percent of treatment provided in primary care clinics. Coughs and colds, seasonal allergies, sinus pain, urinary tract infections, rashes and ear pain are some of the common conditions that can be identified and treated.

“At Cheyenne Regional Medical Group, our goal is to be the medical home for our patients,” Slater said. “This innovative option helps us to do this by expanding our adult patients’ access to care and in a convenient format that many of our adult patients actually prefer.”

SmartExam is not intended for use in a medical emergency or in the event of an urgent healthcare need. Anyone with a life-threatening medical problem should dial 911 immediately.

“Cheyenne Regional Medical Group has long been recognized for providing high-quality compassionate care. With SmartExam, CRMG can continue to deliver that level of care, but in a way that increases access and is more convenient to adult patients in their community,” said Ray Costantini, CEO and co-founder of Bright.md, the developer of SmartExam. “We look forward to working with CRMG to provide this innovative option to their patients.”