Maggie McKay (Host): Technology changes fast these days, but usually the benefits are worth it. Like a new program called MyChart, a simple patient portal that we'll learn more about with Dr. Robert Streeter and Dr. Raagav Mohanakrishnan. Welcome to Wise and Well Presented by Community Memorial Healthcare. I'm your host, Maggie McKay. Thank you both for joining us today. Would you please introduce yourselves and your roles at Community Memorial Healthcare? We'll start with you, Dr. Streeter.

Robert Streeter, MD: Great. Thank you Maggie. My name is Rob Streeter, as you've mentioned, and I'm a family physician. I've been practicing over 35 years, about seven or eight of those years here in Ventura County. And my role at CMH is one of seeing patients and of leadership. I see patients at many of the sites in our system, and I also am the Associate Chief Medical Officer for our ambulatory medicine division. Great to be with you.

Host: Thank you. You too. Great to have you. Dr. Mohanakrishnan?

Raagav Mohanakrishnan, DO: Thank you Maggie. Thank you for having me. My name is Raagav Mohanakrishnan. I am a internal medicine physician by training. Clinically, I practice as a Hospitalist, mainly in the hospital. And I also play a role of Associate CMIO at Community Memorial here. I've always had a strong interest in informatics and improving provider efficiency and wellness. So very excited for this EHR transition and helping roll it out to the whole community.

Host: Dr. Mohanakrishnan, can you give us a brief overview of MyChart and why Community Memorial Healthcare has chosen to implement this new electronic health record or EHR?

Raagav Mohanakrishnan, DO: Absolutely. So Community Memorial has chosen to adopt a new EHR system that will significantly improve the interoperability between different parts of its healthcare system. It'll allow for records and information to transfer easily between different phases of care.

And specifically, MyChart is a platform that will allow for improved communication between providers and patients. It'll allow patients to have easy and immediate access to their records and results, and also quickly and effectively communicate with their care team and providers when they need assistance.

Host: Dr. Streeter, can you talk briefly about what the previous system was like?

Robert Streeter, MD: Sure. We have a so-called patient portal where patients can reach out to us, physicians and providers to ask questions. It's difficult though because some of the programs are not accessible to each other. For example, our emergency rooms have used one medical record system. Our ambulatory team has used another, and so for patients it sometimes has meant a delay in returning their questions and interfacing with them.

Host: So why is patient engagement so important in healthcare today? How does MyChart help with that?

Robert Streeter, MD: Well, it's very important to communicate. I say when I'm teaching residents and medical students that communicating with the patient is so important to even making a diagnosis that is correct. So when we interface with patients, it's important to understand exactly what their needs are, what their questions are, and to have information to review, to inform our responses to those questions; that all leads to better, safer care.

Host: And Dr. Mohanakrishnan, how can MyChart help patients better manage their health and communicate with their healthcare team?

Raagav Mohanakrishnan, DO: Through MyChart, patients can see their results, notes, other documentation, almost instantaneously. It gives them a platform through which they can review these details and also quickly communicate with their healthcare team. Access to this information is valuable when they're also seeing other providers in different systems even. They can relay this information between different care teams. It also helps them more easily complete some of those burdensome tasks, such as prescription refills or quick questions that they might have. So really just makes it easy for them to communicate and get things done with their care team.

Host: And are there any features specifically designed for families like managing care for children say, or elderly relatives?

Raagav Mohanakrishnan, DO: Absolutely. MyChart has features that allow patients, or family members to assign themselves or have proxies for different family members. This allows loved ones and, others to monitor and manage their family's health information as well as care needs.

Host: Dr. Streeter, what do you tell patients like me who are hesitant to use digital tools like MyChart? Because I have to tell you, I recently had a procedure and, the place where it was being done sent me, oh my gosh, this link, and it was so complicated and I just called them and I said, I will not be using that link, because it was really complicated. But it sounds like MyChart is much easier. How do you get people to try it?

Robert Streeter, MD: We encourage people to communicate with us in whichever way they feel comfortable. One of the nicest reasons to use MyChart is sometimes I am not available when the patient is available to talk about something. I will spend, and I know my patients spend a lot of time with back and forth phone calls if they're using a phone call.

So much like email, MyChart will allow you to communicate in a dyssynchronous manner so you can send me your question or your doctor, the question you have and the request, and, hopefully within a short period of time we can get back to you with an answer, but you don't have to be available at the exact same time I am available so we have a meaningful conversation.

In addition, I encourage patients to utilize the tools so I can speak to specific results. I can actually, show them the results of some laboratory tests or perhaps include the results of their x-ray and point out some things, to them while having the similar to email conversation.

Host: And it sounds like MyChart is pretty easy to learn and navigate.

Robert Streeter, MD: I believe it is. I think people, if they get to it, and sign up, it's really no different than if they were texting or, emailing in whichever platform they like to use for that.

Host: That's great. Dr. Mohanakrishnan, where can listeners go to learn more about MyChart or get help setting up their account?

Raagav Mohanakrishnan, DO: Absolutely. Patients can go to mycmh.org/mychart to get more information on downloading and accessing MyChart, either through the computer or through a mobile phone. All the clinics and hospital systems within Community Memorial will also have information and provide many opportunities for patients to learn more and as we approach the time when we will roll this out, we will continue to provide patients with more information so they fully understand what we are providing them and that they feel equipped to go on this journey with us.

Host: Well, thank you both so much for sharing your knowledge on this new program. It sounds so efficient and easy to learn. Thank you for explaining it to us and for your time.

Raagav Mohanakrishnan, DO: Thank you again for having us. We're very excited with this new technology and excited to share with our patients.

Robert Streeter, MD: Yes, thank you, Maggie. Appreciate it and looking forward to having many of our patients utilize this tool.

Host: Great. It sounds ideal. Again, that's Dr. Streeter and Dr. Mohanakrishnan. To learn more, please visit mycmh.org/mychart. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. I'm Maggie McKay. Thanks for listening to Wise and Well from Community Memorial Healthcare.