Wellstar Health System has recently hit 1 million active users on MyChart. When we deployed this electronic medical record patient portal in 2015, we were the first Georgia-based health system to offer the service to patients.
Since then, MyChart has transformed the way patients interact with their healthcare information and clinical team by giving them 24/7 access at their fingertips. Patients became active participants in their care, both during their hospital stay and at home. Research shows that empowering patients to take control of their health leads to lower costs and better clinical outcomes.
MyChart’s "Open Notes" feature also allows patients to go to appointments and ask questions without having to worry about writing down information. Our physicians type up all notes and attach them to the records, allowing patients to review everything once they get home. If additional questions come to mind, patients can also ask them directly on the portal.
"I love MyChart and that I keep everything organized. What medications I'm taking, I can order them easily. I can text the doctors and Sharon at Ryan Cantwell's office, the nurse there," said Frank Ryan, who has used Wellstar to navigate through his health journey for several years.
"At Wellstar, we work as a team to take care of our patients," Wellstar Family Medicine Physician Dr. Ryan Cantwell said. "I enjoy being my patients’ quarterback and coordinating their care with other physicians. Through our electronic health records system, the referral process and communication with other specialists is easy and accurate."
That’s why Wellstar continues working on how we connect digitally with our patients to improve their experience and keep them in control of their health.
In 2018, we set the goal of reaching Epic’s top quartile for MyChart activation, which was 50 percent. At that time, the activation rate at Wellstar was 28 percent, with 420,000 patients signed up for MyChart. As of July 2022, the MyChart activation rate at Wellstar hit 65 percent.
Looking to the future, Wellstar is focusing on increasing and optimizing MyChart digital experiences, particularly around patient self-scheduling, e-Check, and MyChart bedside utilization for in-patient encounters. This high level of MyChart engagement ultimately gets Wellstar closer to our mission of providing world-class healthcare to every person we serve.
Click here to sign up for MyChart today and start taking advantage of all its benefits.
