Thousands of Colorado teens now have one more person to e-mail — their doctor.

Kaiser-Permanente of Colorado today began allowing its teenage members 13 and older to use its "Your Health Record" Web site, a site previously available only to adult members.

A teen can e-mail a doctor about acne problems, access a lab result to see whether the strep test was positive, or to see whether anti-depression pills have arrived. They can access their online medical records, check on immunizations and find out about the next office visit.

In fact, in areas of mental or sexual health or substance abuse, they can get information that is shielded from their parents. State law calls for confidentiality of that information.

Teens, though, can't find out about a pregnancy test or an HIV test by e-mail. That's something better shared face-to-face, said Dr. Mark Groshek, a Kaiser Permanente pediatrician and lead doctor for the "Your Health Record."

Colorado teens are among the first in the nation to be allowed access to their own medical information online.

"Teens are the most tech-savvy generation we have," Groshek said. "They like to get information this way."

Teens can sign a form to allow the parents also to see the e-mails and online medical record, he said.

But if parent and teen disagree, the teen wins on the privacy of lab results, because the software isn’t yet capable of discerning between results of confidentiality-covered results such as mental-health tests and other tests, Groshek said.

The parent, however, can assert his or her rights to see most information on the teen’s medical chart, and to read the e-mail.

"This is a lot more than e-mail," Groshek added. "It links them to a huge amount of other medical information. They can click on the name of their medication and be linked to a description." Members also can go to an encyclopedia to learn about diagnoses.

The aim is to create a trusted, secure site for teens that would be a better alternative to much of the sketchy medical information available on the Internet, he said.

The state legislature has pushed for greater use of electronic medical records because they can be more secure and accurate and can save on the cost of duplicate paperwork. But many doctors have resisted the idea, preferring making handwritten notes that can be stuck in manila folders.

K-P nationwide is devoting $3 million over 10 years to enhance electronic medical records and access to them by patients.

The K-P doctors most enthusiastic about the online communication often e-mail five or 10 patients a day, Groshek said.