Optimizing MyChart Patient Portal

Description:

Patient electronic access to health information is an objective in the Meaningful Use Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program by Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). One measure for this objective is the “percent of all unique patients (or their authorized representatives) who are discharged from the inpatient or emergency department who view, download or transmit to a third party their information” (CMS, 2014). This project is part of a larger effort to increase patient use of MyChart at St. Mary’s Hospital.

Improving the current process of medical record release via MyChart will make the application more useful to patients and will encourage patients to view, download, or transmit their health information. This project involves reviewing the current MyChart functionality and current MyChart medical record release practices, then through research on Epic UserWeb and conversations with Epic administrators I will develop recommendations for MyChart and Release processes and suggestions for St. Mary’s website.

Main Objectives:

• Review current MyChart functionality and practices
• Review current release practices in MyChart
• Research best practices on Epic Userweb
• Develop Recommendations for MyChart and Release processes, to include suggested updates to our web site

Major Tasks:

• Meet with current MyChart administrator to review current stat
• Meet with release of information vendor to review current practices
• Research MyChart functionality on UserWeb
• Research 3 challenges discussed on the Userweb
• Review current communication process between HIM and patient
• Develop 3 recommendations for Release practices
• Suggest ways to improve the MyChart experience, specifically in regards to the Inpatient population
• Research how 2 other hospitals are using MyChart in regards to releasing records
• Recommend best practices for communicating with the patient via MyChart about medical record requests

Deliverables:

• 3 Recommendations for improvement in regards to the process of using MyChart to release medical records
• Draft Web site page for release of information
• Summarize how to improve the Inpatient MyChart Experience
• Methods and modes of carrying out the tasks:
  • The method for this research project is to learn about the topic through on-the-job experience, resources afforded to me through contacts and my site supervisor, and generally seeking more information about the topic. This project will be completed mainly on-site, as well as some remote work. My site supervisor will oversee my work.

Timeline: 10 weeks, see Gantt Chart for details.

Provisions for unexpected project changes:

If there are unexpected changes in the internship that limit or remove my site access, I will use whatever resources remain available to me to complete the research and develop the recommendations.

Reference:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 2014. Patient Electronic Access Tipsheet. Retrieved from: https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/PatientElecAccTipsheet_06182014-.pdf