TECH TALK
No Longer a Difficult Patient
Make the Most of Electronic Medical Records
By Tak Sato
A “Seinfeld” episode called “The Package” reminds us how far we’ve come with medical records.
While waiting for her doctor to come into the exam room, Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) peeks into a manila folder with her name on it. She sees a notation in her file that describes her as “a difficult patient” just as the doctor walks in and catches her. As she protests the description, the doctor pretends to erase it and walks away making additional, likely unflattering notations.
Connected
We no longer have to snoop through manila folders to see our medical records. In 2009, health care organizations, under a federal government mandate, started computerizing our medical records and also giving patients access to see their medical records. Younger patients may not even remember health care before electronic recordkeeping.
While electronic medical records (EMR) can be confusing and occasionally glitchy, they’re a goldmine of information about our health.
In Northeast Ohio, the landscape changed in 2023 for the better when University Hospitals adopted EPIC EMR and MyChart, joining Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth patients who have been using MyChart from EPIC all along.
As of mid-December 2023, the MyChart website linked to 64 healthcare organizations in Ohio (point your favorite browser to mychart.org/LoginSignup, select “Ohio,” and scroll through the list to see if your hospital or provider uses EMR from EPIC and its patient portal MyChart.
I use doctors and practitioners at two hospitals. Yet, I can use a single MyChart app on my smartphone to access my health records at Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, switching between organizations easily.
Each hospital customizes features under the “Menu” selection so sidebar images can look slightly different for each person or health care organization.
Did you know that MyChart lets us see the appointment “Notes” typed or dictated by the provider? We’ve all heard that bringing someone with us to a doctor’s appointment is a good idea, so we don’t miss vital information. My wife isn’t usually available to accompany me to appointments. With the “Notes” feature, she can not only hear my version of the appointment over dinner but also read the appointment synopsis/prognosis from my doctor directly.
In addition, the “After Visit Summary” that I receive when I leave my appointment is also available for viewing, downloading, or printing from MyChart, which is helpful if you misplace the paperwork.
MyChart also has a “Messaging” (Cleveland Clinic) or “Communication” (University Hospitals) feature to securely send/receive messages to your providers. MyChart messaging works like your email, minus the SPAM and phishing nuisances. Just remember that Cleveland Clinic, for example, can charge you if your message request or question requires more than a simple response. It’s best for quick requests or follow-up questions after an appointment. I don’t use the Messaging feature to replace an in-person or virtual appointment.
The MyChart features I use most frequently are under the “My Record” (University Hospitals) or “My Medical Record” (Cleveland Clinic) categories under the Menu heading.
The “Request refill” selection with a list of your medications makes it easy to request refills. The “Test Results” selection not only has your test results going back years but also the results from tests you take repeatedly, revealing vital health trends. Finally, the “Upcoming & Past Visits” (Cleveland Clinic) or “Visits” (University Hospitals) section lets you see and download your practitioner’s Notes and After Visit Summary.
If you have a smartphone or use a computer connected to the internet (also known as the cloud), the MyChart app or the MyChart website are helpful and relatively easy to use. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a spin.
You’ll find a clip of the “Seinfeld” episode on YouTube; search for “A Difficult Patient.”
P.S. Dear EPIC, if you’re reading this, is it possible to standardize the category headers and other terms across provider sites? Patients shouldn’t be confused when they move from one hospital or provider to another through your app or website.
— Sincerely, Your Friendly Old Geek
