Electronic Patient Record (EPR) Project
Unity Health Toronto is launching a new electronic patient record (EPR) system Saturday, November 30. This new, network-wide system represents a major step in our efforts to transform the digital infrastructure at Unity Health to provide the best care experiences for our patients, families and community members. To learn more about the new system and how it’ll benefit you, please see below.
Partners, please find downtime information on the Epic for Community Partners page on our website.
Thank you to our patients, families, community members and partners for all your support throughout this project. We kindly ask for patience and kindness as Unity Health staff, physicians and learners get comfortable using the new system. If you have any questions or concerns about the new system, please speak with a member of your care team or visit the Contact us page.
MyChart
With the launch of our new EPR system, Unity Health is introducing a new secure patient portal called MyChart, powered by Epic. This free portal gives patients access to their health information online, anytime, and is accessible from a mobile phone, tablet or computer. To learn more about MyChart, please visit the MyChart page on our website.
Epic Care Link
Epic Care Link is a secure web-based portal that gives community partners select access to Unity Health’s patient database and functionalities to improve continuity of care. Are you a staff or physician at one of our partner organizations? Please visit the Epic for Community Partners page on our website to learn more.
Frequently asked questions
Our new EPR system will enable physicians, staff and learners to more easily share information, working closely together to ensure that each patient receives the best possible care experiences across the spectrum of their health care journey. Watch this video to learn more about how this new EPR system was designed to bring us together as a connected organization.
Our teams have been training for several months to prepare for this new system, but it may take them some time to get used to it once it launches. This means that some of your appointments and activities may take a little bit longer than usual. Here are some tips for the next couple of weeks:
- Anticipate longer than usual wait times for non-urgent procedures, at our information desks and during registration. Our phone lines may also be busier than usual.
- Please still arrive at the hospital on-time for your appointments and procedures!
- Plan to be at the hospital longer than usual. Bring any necessary medications and supplies, as well as comfort items, such as a book or headphones, water and snacks.
- If you’re getting picked up from the hospital after your appointment, let your driver know that you may be running a bit late.
Please note that our sites remain safe places to receive care, and your safety, comfort and experience are our top priority. If you have any questions, please speak with a member of your care team.
Unity Health takes your privacy and protecting your personal health information (PHI) very seriously. PHI is any information that identifies you and connects you to receiving care at a health care organization, such as your physical or mental health diagnoses, testing, treatment and demographic information (e.g. age, sex, neighbourhood, etc.).
Unity Health conducts regular checks of all our patient systems to protect against illegal access. Our new EPR system, including MyChart, powered by Epic, was reviewed by experts to make sure the security features passed all tests for safety and privacy. All PHI and data available in MyChart are fully encrypted.
Access to information is controlled through personal usernames and passwords. Each person controls their password, and the account cannot be accessed without that password. We encourage all users to set up Two-Step Verification, which is used for increased security. This feature requires you to enter a code sent to you by email or text message to log in to MyChart and use your username and password.
Read more about privacy at Unity Health. You can also read the MyChart Terms and Conditions for more information.
Following an extensive procurement process that involved over 500 staff, physicians, learners and patient and family partners, Unity Health signed a contract with Epic Systems (Epic) – a globally recognized software company. An international leader in the EPR space, Epic is the chosen vendor of many premier health systems across Ontario and Canada, including SickKids Hospital, UHN, Trillium Health Partners, Mackenzie Health and The Ottawa Hospital.
Over 500 staff, physicians and patient and family partners contributed to the build of the new system, with thousands more involved in system testing, training and preparations. Take a look at our journey to a new EPR system:
- For questions about MyChart, please send a message to MyChart support in the Messaging activity section of MyChart, call 416-864-5494 or email mychartsupport@unityhealth.to.
- For questions about your care, please speak with a member of your care team.
- For all other questions and concerns, please visit the Contact Us page.
Please see below for a list of stories and resources:
- Unity Health Toronto’s new patient portal MyChart is made for patients, by patients – November 19, 2024
- How will the new electronic patient record boost Unity Health Toronto’s AI tools? It’s all about scaling – November 13, 2024
- How equity and accessibility are central in building Unity Health Toronto’s new electronic patient record system – October 30, 2024
- Learning the ropes: How Unity Health Toronto trained thousands on a new digital system – October 16, 2024
- See what our staff are looking forward to in our new EPR system– August 27, 2024
- Marking 100 days until our new EPR system goes live– August 21, 2024
- Unbox new EPR-compatible devices with Giuseppe Cammisa– July 3, 2024
- Unity Health marks milestone in its electronic patient record project– April 26, 2023
Last updated November 27, 2024