Abstract Details

Outside of scheduled office visits, providers are responsible for aspects of patient care which are conveyed through either telephone calls or MyChart messages. Electronic health records have certain benefits including ease of access and reduced workload for clinical support staff. Further characterization of these types of communication in PwMS is necessary so that their utilization can be optimized.

To quantify and characterize the use of telephone calls and MyChart messages (Epic Systems Corporation) of persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in our academic outpatient clinic.

A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patients within our center’s database was performed.  Data were collected on telephone calls and MyChart messages which were sent between August 2015 to August 2019.

We identified 439 total patients. 324 (74%) patients were MyChart users, and 426 (97%) patients had made at least one phone call. In total, there were 6161 (49%) MyChart messages and 6419 (51%) telephone calls. Of patients who were using these tools frequently (defined as averaging at least once per month), there was an inverse correlation between number of telephone calls versus MyChart messages (r= -0.60, p<0.001). On average, patients were more likely to call in refill requests if they were not MyChart users (5.2 vs. 3.2, p=0.02). There was no statistically significant difference in average number of calls to inquire about test results or medications depending on their MyChart status.

MyChart messages and telephone calls were roughly equal. Our study shows that for patients who were using these tools frequently, they were on average making less telephone calls if they were sending more MyChart messages. Additionally, MyChart users were less likely to call in refill requests, however they were still calling regarding other questions. This data serves as groundwork for areas which may be targeted for quality initiatives including improvements in workflow and resource allocation.