MyChart: How to Use This Patient Portal to View Records, Message Your Doctor, and More

MyChart is a free online patient portal used by thousands of hospitals, clinics, and medical practices across the United States. If your doctor's office, hospital, or health system uses the Epic electronic health record system — which most major health systems do — then you have access to MyChart. It allows you to view your medical records, see lab results, message your care team directly, request prescription refills, schedule appointments, and pay medical bills, all from your computer or smartphone.

MyChart is especially valuable for managing your health between appointments. Instead of calling the office and waiting on hold to get a test result, you can log in and read it directly. Instead of leaving a voicemail for your doctor about a non-urgent question, you can send a secure message and receive a reply within one to three business days.

Setting up MyChart requires an activation code from your doctor's office. You can request one during your next visit, by calling the office, or sometimes by entering your date of birth and other identifying information on the MyChart website. Once activated, your account gives you access to all records from any provider in the same health system.

If you receive care from more than one health system — for example, your primary care doctor is at one hospital and your cardiologist is at another — each system may have its own separate MyChart account. You can link accounts from different health systems in the MyChart app, which lets you see records from multiple providers in one place.

MyChart is available at mychart.com and as a free app for iPhone and Android. Your specific provider's portal may have a different name but is almost always powered by the same Epic system.