Medical records through MyChart linking

@juliarr It would be best to ask that question of the neurology department or the coordinator who called when you were issued an appointment. Certainly, you can take printed copies of records to your evaluation and they will scan and input those into your account, but it would be more efficient for your doctors if they were already in Mayo's system before you arrive.

Congratulations on being a Mayo patient. Also do something fun while you are there.

Good Morning.
When you agree to "Care Everywhere" that should give your Mayo team access to all of the institutions that are listed. I would suggest following up to make sure that the records are transferred, and you understand the process. Bringing paper and CDs in on the day of your appointment might slow your check in process and if they need to be reviewed before your visit. They may be upload able from home. Best case is to use the collaboration among hospital systems to share records. If an institution does not share information, then you will need to get records the "old fashioned" way.

How do you agree to Care Everywhere? Do you have to do at every provider who uses Epic?

Hi.
That is one I am not sure of. I would ask or try doing it in the desktop version of the portal.

To be on the safe side I would request the other institutions to fax over to Mayo all relevant tests, etc. Also take with you a list of all your tests with dates performed so that the new Doctor can see at a glance what tests have been performed and how recent they are. Include any conditions impacting when the tests were done.

I now have a long record at Mayo, and I can see that Doctors have difficulty in getting up to speed. So, when I went to see a new Doctor at Mayo last May, I wrote a one-page summary description of my current status, history of multiple related health issues, tests and procedures with dates, outcomes, etc. for the doctor. He actually used some of my writing in his notes.

I know Doctors can see info from linked institutions, because twice they have put something in their notes that came from outside and I had not had it forwarded. But I wonder how well organized it is and how it is displayed for the doctor.
I have observed that Mayo has made progress in designing their MyChart pages and reporting info in the last two years. You can actually compare test results including the ones from linked organizations.
I would like to see a clinical report summary for a complex patient which clearly indicates the patient's various diagnoses and critical data points. Right now, MyChart just lists conditions, including those from outside. Many are duplicates either because Mayo does not update my diagnosis (nodule vs. multiple nodules for example) or my local primary also adds it to my record.

Great idea! There are institutions that do not participate in the cloud-based sharing and that would suggest that one needs to use a more direct approach at records transfer.
Your idea of a one page "resume" if you will, facilitates sharing with the providers. Keep in mind that they are bombarded with information from all sides and directions. Actively participating in your care is important.

The Electronic Health Record and Patient Portal are constantly evolving (maybe too fast) but that would be what you will see improve over time.
Best!

Some great suggestions here. I just completed my first visit and am going for visit this month to GI for a new appointment with them. The first dr pulled up a lot of past visits in MyChart and we were paging through trying to find specific tests etc. It was A LOT. I like the idea of typing a summary of most important items. In fact my case is complex and I am starting a binder including all of my Mayo reports etc to keep it all straight for myself. On this next (new) visit to GI I was told to bring a folder including the most important Dr reports for any practices I saw outside of Epic shared ones and include any CDROMS. I am dropping off in GI the day before my appointment per their instructions.

Agreed. I retired from high tech and have experience in designing databases and implementing new systems. So, I have a greater curiosity in the development in management of patient information. It is exciting because it offers great benefits in tracking results from treatments and many other scientific needs. I am curious to know how information is presented to the doctor vs. how it is presented to the patient.

I don't know what "high tech" you worked in. I have a pretty diverse background and consider myself a hybrid. What the patient sees and what the record contain are, by necessity, different.

I recently enrolled in a master's degree in healthcare systems engineering. There are a few courses that you might be interested in at that level that don't get deep into the systems design side. Other options might include looking at what EPIC offers. Another option would be to look at the situation going on with the VA System and Oracle. That was to be a major upgrade to a 30+ year old Electronic Health Record system. It is a lot of public information that you can peruse.
Best!

Those are all great ideas. I would definitely ask questions as you move forward and inquire with your providers the specific types of information that they are looking for to understand both your medical history and problem areas. If you keep categorized records (either hard copy or protected on your system) you can draw and develop your narratives much easier.

I am not sure if the source clarified that all EPIC users share data across the Cloud platform. I thought that wasn't the care and it was a matter of institutions agreeing to do it. As for the CDs, those would require to be uploaded locally. Make sure that when you get your CD from the source that it does have your information on it and it is labelled correctly (to match your name and date of birth identifiers) on Mayo's system.
Best!