Improving Access to Patient’s Medical Information
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is pleased to announce important new changes to MyCHOP, making it easier for patients and families to access medical information.
These changes are part of the 21st Century Cures Act. The 21st Century Cures Act supports making healthcare more open and transparent by increasing patient and family access to health data.
In April 2021, certain changes were made to allow CHOP patients and families to access more of their health data via MyCHOP. Additional changes will be made in March 2022 to allow CHOP patients and families access to even more of their health data via MyCHOP.
Changes to MyCHOP
Families already using MyCHOP will primarily see changes in the following areas:
- Lab & Radiology Results
- Notes
- Current Health Issues and Diagnosis List
- Medications
- Past Encounters
Labs & Radiology Results will be released more rapidly to MyCHOP; and may be available in MyCHOP before the clinical team has had a chance to reach out and explain results. If needed, you will receive a phone call or MyCHOP message generally in 1-2 business days from the CHOP team explaining the results and next steps. If you have a pressing concern before that time, please reach out to your child’s clinical team.
Notes will provide patients and families with full clinical progress and office notes, instead of just After Visit Summaries and letters that were only previously available. By sharing these notes with patients and families, we hope to increase communication and engagement between patients, families and medical professionals. Most notes will be available in MyCHOP. Providers can manually withhold a note if it relates to a sensitive topic. For example, notes that may reveal a legally protected diagnoses like pregnancy or STD for an adolescent will not be released to MyCHOP or available to parents without the adolescent’s consent.
Similarly, most entries on the patient’s Current Health Issues List will be available in MyCHOP except for legally protected diagnoses and other sensitive topics.
Most medications will also be visible to parents/caregivers in MyCHOP. Exceptions are any medications that could reveal an adolescent’s sensitive diagnosis or care.
Additional encounters with your healthcare provider, such as Telephone calls, will also now be available in MyCHOP, but sensitive diagnoses, medications and sensitive visits (i.e., family planning, HIV) will remain blocked.
We’re here to help
Not everyone may be comfortable reading patient notes and information. At CHOP, we encourage patients and families to do what feels right for you and your family. Reading notes can help build or reinforce trust with the patient’s care team, can offer opportunities to better understand the patient’s condition or treatment, and allow you to feel more comfortable asking questions.
We’re excited about this opportunity to make your child’s health information more accessible to you.
Questions and more information
If you have any questions about how to access health information or the Cures Act, please contact us by:
- Visiting MyCHOP.chop.edu, and use our chat feature to “Ask Mary”
- Request MyCHOP support by visiting https://www.chop.edu/mychop/contact
To sign up for MyCHOP, visit MyCHOP.chop.edu.