WellStar Health System is deploying an innovative solution to improve the patient experience while providing better patient care. WellStar’s electronic medical record patient portal, WellStar MyChart, will provide patients with round-the-clock access to their providers’ notes in addition to instructions, next steps, medication lists and test results from outpatient medical visits. WellStar is the first Georgia-based health system to offer this service to its patients.
Evidence has shown that patients who become part of the care team are more actively involved in their healthcare and experience better outcomes with lower costs. When a patient is sick, tired or stressed during a doctor’s visit, they or their caregivers may forget what the doctor said or prescribed. WellStar MyChart takes away the need to remember every detail by allowing the patient the ability to review this important information on their own schedule.
A national study in 2010 funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropy organization devoted exclusively to health and healthcare, tested the open medical notes concept with 105 primary care physicians and more than 13,000 patients during a year-long voluntary program. Patients consistently reported:
Having better recall after visits
Feeling more in control of their care
Better communication and collaboration with their doctor
Feeling better educated
Taking medications more effectively
Preventing important mistakes
Sharing their notes with family, friends and health professionals
Physician notes provide a concise, comprehensive summary of a patient’s condition. This information is shared within WellStar’s electronic health record and shared with the patient through WellStar MyChart. To sign up for a WellStar MyChart account, you can visit your WellStar Medical Group physician or WellStar facility to receive an activation code or visit the webpage at https://mychart.wellstar.org/MyChart/. For additional assistance or details, please speak with your healthcare provider.
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