Duke University Health System thinks it's high time that hospitals and doctors' offices help patients access their records online, as well.

The health system recently introduced HealthView, a Web site designed to give patients access to their financial and medical records online. Through the site, patients at any of the system's hospitals and clinics can see how much they owe Duke and how much they paid it during a year and ultimately keep tabs on their diagnostic test results.

Duke hopes that easier access to records will make patients better consumers -- with positive results for their health and wallets.

Duke is part of a larger national push to digitize medical records and make them portable and available to patients, but it think it is in the forefront of integrating a variety of medical and administrative files on the Web.

Patients have to look so many places to find information, said Asif Ahmad, Duke's chief information officer. "We've taken steps to get organized."

He hopes the Web site would lead to a regional collaboration around sharing medical information. If nothing else, patients can log into the system in other doctors' offices to show their physicians the Duke records, he said.

* What HealthView can do: Patients can log in to make appointments, find records of their payments to Duke and see any outstanding balances. With tax time coming up, you can use it to check your medical spending last year.

* What else is in the works: The program will soon include a calendar feature to help patients track their medical appointments.

In a few months, patients also will be able to see recent and years-old summaries of their records, including laboratory, radiology and pathology reports. The system also will list the medications prescribed by Duke doctors. Since most patients see multiple doctors, patients will be able to supplement the record with other test results and prescriptions.

Within a year, Duke also will offer personalized health coaching online.

* To sign up: Go to healthview.dukehealth.org. You'll have to enter a Duke medical ID number, a recent encounter number or your health insurance number.

* New patients: You don't have to be a current patient of Duke to use the site. Anyone can use the Web page to schedule an appointment at the system's hospitals or clinics.

* If you don't have a computer: Duke will begin testing a kiosk system this spring that will let patients update and print their summary records in their doctor's office. The kiosks also will allow for self-check-in, much like e-ticket counters at the airport.