The Ontario Medical Association and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre today announced their joint effort to expand and enhance MyChart, Canada’s largest personal online health portal designed specifically for patients, and through them for their families, physicians and personal care teams.
“Patients have been demanding greater access to their test results and medical records so they can better understand and participate in their own health care,” said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, President of the Ontario Medical Association. “Enhancements to MyChart will support this important goal and ultimately lead to improved outcomes for patients.”
The collaboration between the OMA and Sunnybrook will result in the expansion of the MyChart support call centre, and enable third-party primary care services such as sick notes or prescription renewals.
Launched in 2006 and currently used by 625,000 patients in more than 70 Ontario hospitals and labs, MyChart is a secure online platform that supports access to medical and personal records, resources and information. This makes it easier for patients to be more involved with their own health care, move between providers, and self-monitor from home. For example, a recent enhancement now allows COVID-19 test results to be immediately posted to MyChart, with an automated email to patients telling them their results are now available for view. Access to MyChart is free for patients.
“Physicians have expressed frustration with the state of health-care IT for over a decade,” said Dr. Gandhi. “The expansion of virtual care that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the tremendous value of investing in digital health-care solutions. MyChart is also a potential solution for Ontario’s OHTs as they look to share health information.”
“Sunnybrook is proud to deliver an innovative solution that is making it possible for patients and their care providers to connect more quickly and easily to their health records than ever before,” said Dr. Andy Smith, President and CEO, Sunnybrook. “We continue to see the reach of our MyChart portal as it expands to new areas of the health-care system, and we are thrilled to be taking this step with the OMA.”