UC San Diego completed its transition to a new student electronic health record on August 19, 2019. Called Epic, this new platform will allow students to have easier access to both Student Health Services and Counseling and Psychological Services resources, as well as to the broader UCSD Health system. This marks UCSD as the first University of California school to combine health and wellness services on a single electronic platform.
Through Epic, UCSD students will be able to request and manage their SHS and CAPS appointments, directly message their providers, view their test results, and request prescription refills. As the platform continues to grow, students will also be able to schedule virtual visits with their providers in the coming months.
As a @UCSDHealth patient, you spend less time tracking medications or booking doctor's appointments and spend more time enjoying #SanDiego. The MyUCSDHealth app gives you control over your health care needs. It's accessible anywhere you go https://t.co/Ld6XzAZpwM #BetterCareNow pic.twitter.com/BgqPpTuZiv
— UC San Diego Health (@UCSDHealth) September 21, 2019
In a statement to the UCSD Guardian, Health Promotion Services at UCSD said that the new Epic system will both allow easier access to the UCSD Health system’s resources as well as enhancing the current clinical care provided to students.
According to a Tritonlink information release on the new electronic health record, this new platform will still maintain privacy standards “in accordance with student preferences, Federal and State laws, and ethical standards.”
Dr. Stacie San Miguel, director of Medical Services at UCSD SHS said in an email to the Guardian that the new change came about in an effort to improve communication between the various health and wellness services students encounter.
“For students who require specialty care with UC San Diego Health, this transition will enable medical specialists to access the health records and treatment history of students from SHS and CAPS,” Dr. San Miguel said. “This is important because it will minimize duplication of referrals to specialists at UC San Diego Health and expedite the determination of diagnoses and treatment needed.”
In order to have access to the Epic platform, all students, including new students and those who have never before used SHS or CAPS, need to activate their MyStudentChart accounts.
“It is essential for all students to be connected because MyStudentChart is the primary communication platform used by Student Health Services if there was an infectious disease outbreak on campus,” Dr. San Miguel said. “We would use MyStudentChart to instruct those students who were exposed on how to receive care quickly within this secure and confidential platform.”
The Epic electronic health record and MyStudentChart are both currently available to all UCSD students, with access available both on a desktop patient portal as well as a mobile app.
Photo courtesy of UC San Diego.
