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DPH reports MyChart surge; Epic now used to schedule and share COVID vaccine records
Summary
DPH's Epic/MyChart rollout reached roughly 36,000 users and saw ~112,000 logins in January; officials said MyChart is being used to schedule vaccinations, store vaccine records and exchange records with regional partners, and workflows were translated into seven city languages to improve access.
The Health Commission heard an information‑technology briefing on Feb. 16 about Epic and MyChart use in the COVID response. The DPH chief information officer said MyChart usage has grown sharply since April 2020 and that the system is now a primary tool for scheduling vaccinations and storing immunization records.
CIO Eric Grafton reported that MyChart had about 36,000 registered users and that January logins approached 112,000. He said DPH uses MyChart to open immunization schedules to the public and to register and manage vaccine appointments; vaccination records entered into Epic are shareable across an information‑exchange network that includes UCSF, Sutter, Kaiser and other partner systems.
Nut graf: Grafton emphasized that digital tools are useful only when barriers to access are addressed. MyChart was made available in English and Spanish and vaccination scheduling flows were translated into the city's seven special languages; the team found the average MyChart text grade level is about seventh grade and committed to work toward simpler wording.
The CIO also addressed technical questions about record matching and duplicates: a national matching tool compares demographic attributes to link records across systems, and DPH staff review and merge potential duplicate records via health information management processes. He said MyChart proxy access and multilingual promotional materials were part of efforts to bridge the digital divide.
Ending: Commissioners asked for follow-up on searching for hyphenated or non‑Western name orders and on how private practitioners can view DPH records; the CIO offered to provide additional technical guidance and documentation.
