MyChart’s self-triage tools help inform patients about next steps for care
Many patients are staying home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus but have questions about their health. To give patients peace of mind and help them evaluate what kind of care they might need, health systems including Community Health Network in Indiana are using self-triage tools for patients, including a symptom checker in MyChart. In the first few weeks of using these tools, patients at Community Health Network checked their symptoms and received care guidance more than 3,000 times.
To self-triage, patients answer questions about their symptoms in MyChart and receive tailored instructions for what to do next, such as to self-isolate, schedule a follow-up video or e-visit, call a clinic or support line, or seek emergency help.
Clinicians can view self-triage responses right from the patient’s chart. Staff can use Epic’s self-service reporting tool, SlicerDicer, to see summaries of patients’ responses, such the number of people who are asymptomatic but have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19.
In addition to screening for COVID-19, patients can also use self-triage in MyChart instead of going to urgent care to get treatment guidance for several common issues, such as headaches, abdominal pain, and rashes. Staying home and using MyChart to address these health concerns can help reduce the risk of exposure and slow the spread of the virus.
For more information on using self-triage in MyChart for patients with symptoms of COVID-19, Epic community members can refer to the Managing Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) With Epic white paper, which is updated regularly with recommended build and workflows.
