Patients at The University of Kansas Health System locations in Great Bend now have enhanced access to their health-care teams and personal medical records.
The new MyChart patient portal went live August 24 along with the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) health-care providers and staff will use. These systems will be available to Great Bend Campus and St. Rose Medical Pavilion patients, providers and staff.
“We are excited to roll out these enhanced services for our patients and their families,” said Jesse Mock, administrator for Great Bend Campus. “MyChart allows quick, convenient and secure access to your care team and personal medical information.”
MyChart can be accessed through an app on a smartphone as well as on laptop and desktop computers 24/7. It replaces the former patient portal used in Great Bend and offers greater functionality. All information is password-protected, private and secure.
Examples of information available in MyChart include reviews of medications and immunizations, lab and radiology results, the time, location and instructions for upcoming visits to a health-care provider and summaries of past visits.
Patients can use MyChart to ask questions of their care teams in a secure message center, pay bills, check in for visits in advance and get cost estimates for health-care services.
Parents and guardians can take advantage of proxy access to their children’s medical information in MyChart accounts. Adults can give a trusted friend, family member or caregiver access to their accounts, too.
“We encourage patients and families to talk to their care teams about the options they want to explore,” Mock said. “Our professional staff is happy to guide you through these easy steps.”
In recent weeks, patients have been invited to sign up for MyChart. Those who accept the invitation receive an email with instructions to begin the process.
This service, which has been available in the health system’s Kansas City-area locations, “has earned good feedback from patients,” Mock said. “They really like all the features and advantages of MyChart.”
The enhancement goes hand-in-hand with the new EMR system at Great Bend locations.
“This completely new Epic EMR system replaces three disparate systems that didn’t talk to each other,” Mock said. “When patients need to be transferred to another health system location or see a specialist in Kansas City, their medical records will be readily available.
“Epic set the stage for MyChart availability,” Mock added. “As a result of these enhancements, we are more efficient and effective with our patient care. We think our patients will be more than pleased with the results.”
Additional health system locations, including HaysMed and Pawnee Valley Campus, will soon join Great Bend in the use of Epic and MyChart.
