If you’ve thought how nice it would be to have a way to schedule doctor’s appointments online, check your test results, pay your bills, and even communicate directly with your doctor, Kettering Health Medical Group has the solution in MyChart.

MyChart is a free, interactive, personalized online portal that allows patients to be proactive in their healthcare. Any patient who receives service at a Kettering Health Medical Group office or Kettering Health facility is eligible to participate.

Create an account, set up a username and password, then patients have full access to all their information on the system.

Here are five great reasons to have (and actively use) a MyChart account.

1. E-Visits

The virtual visit, or “E-Visit,” is a quick, convenient way of dealing with minor problems like back pain, cough and cold symptoms, diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, heartburn, and urinary problems. For a $35 co-pay, patients can use the MyChart system to schedule an E-Visit with their primary care physician. Patients log in to the system and answer a questionnaire, which the doctor reviews within 1-2 business days.

Once the doctor receives the information about your symptoms, he or she will decide whether they can help you via E-Visit, or if you need to come into the office. If you have to come in, the physician will cancel the E-Visit, and you can schedule the office visit directly in MyChart. No co-pay is charged until the visit, either virtual or in person, is completed. All primary care physicians in Kettering Health Medical Group participate in the E-Visit program.

2. Online appointment scheduling

Since one of MyChart’s purposes is to provide more efficiency in medical services, the ability to schedule appointments online eliminates the need to call an office to set up that appointment.

In MyChart, established patients (those seen within the last two years) can see the available appointment times with their primary care physician.

3. Online bill payment

MyChart provides patients with links directly to the Kettering Health accounting system. You can send secure messages to the Kettering Health billing department, which typically responds within 24 hours.

4. Faster access to test results

One of the most popular features of MyChart is the ability for patients to review their test results. Most results are available within the first 48 hours. Once test results are entered, the patient will receive a notification to view them – no more waiting for a letter in the mail!

Sometimes patients may not know the purpose of a specific test. Within MyChart, there is a searchable library of information to help you understand what various tests reveal.

5. Direct communication with your healthcare providers

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of MyChart is the ability to communicate securely and directly with your physicians.

Utilizing MyChart, a physician can send a message directly to the patient when they see test results, provide special instructions, or follow up with information from an appointment. When submitting questions to doctors through MyChart, patients typically receive answers within 24 hours.

MyChart offers a securely encrypted way for patients to access personal medical information online. This allows patients to manage time better and become more involved and informed in their medical care. Click here to find a provider who participates in the MyChart program.