Epic unveils MyChart Central to link disparate patient portals

EHR vendor giant Epic Systems is taking its MyChart patient portal into personal health records territory with the unveiling of MyChart Central at its user group meeting today.

MyChart Central is a system by which patients can tether all of their disparate MyChart patient portals into one singular location. The system should help ameliorate the age-old problem of having multiple patient portal logins.

"MyChart Central is a website that helps you keep all your MyChart accounts in one place," Epic wrote on a MyChart Central FAQ page. "If you get care from more than one healthcare organization, MyChart Central lets you link your accounts so you can use a single login to access them all. You can also access MyChart Central in the MyChart mobile application."

Alongside MyChart Central, Epic has launched Epic ID, which will serve as a single login across all various Epic accounts. When users create their MyChart Central accounts, they will also be creating their Epic ID, the company said.

Users can access MyChart Central via their web browser or via the mobile MyChart app, Epic said. Users can only access their own medical records. Medical records for which users have proxy access, such as for a family member, cannot be accessed via MyChart Central at this time, according to the FAQ page.

Currently, MyChart Central has been rolled out in a small number of healthcare organizations around Wisconsin, where Epic is headquartered.

Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.