My Health Care Ohio to Inform Ohioans About Their Health Care Options

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As Ohioans continue to grapple with growing concerns and questions about the accessibility and affordability of high quality health care, a new website aims to help educate consumers on their options for care.

MyHealthCareOhio.com, an information-based website conceived and developed by Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Ohio, seeks to shed light on common questions, concerns and options for Ohioans to consider as they navigate their health care. 

"As a business owner and an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, I find that I'm as much of a teacher as I am health care provider," said Diann Nelson-Houser, APRN, owner of Affordable Care Health Clinic and the Self-Employed NP Development Company in the Columbus area. "MyHealthCareOhio.com is a response to the questions many of my colleagues and I field every day, and helps educate Ohioans on the constantly changing landscape of health care in Ohio."

Key to that changing landscape is the ongoing shortage of primary care and specialty physicians. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. will face a shortage of more than 90,000 physicians in 10 years as a result of aging baby boomers, and that nearly one-third of physicians will retire in the next decade.

"These are real concerns that will affect thousands of people in Ohio," Nelson-Houser said. "Part of what we want to do is educate health care consumers about their options so they can make informed decisions that work for them. For some, there may be several factors that go into making what may seem to be a routine decision about seeking care."

Co-pays, out-of-pocket costs, wait times for appointments, and differences between clinics, urgent cares and emergency rooms are some of the factors that weigh on consumers and can have costly outcomes if not fully informed.

"Our intent with this website is to answer common questions and present all primary care options for treating illness, but also to provide timely wellness information to help minimize sickness," said Nelson-Houser.

According to Nelson-Houser, the site that goes live today will become more robust over time.

"We see this as a collaborative effort of health care professionals in Ohio informing Ohioans, and we'll be adding more voices and perspectives from health care professionals over time," she said.

Visit www.myhealthcareohio.com.

SOURCE MyHealthCareOhio.com