The notes your healthcare provider writes after a visit may be available in MSK MyChart, our patient portal. They can include information about your exam, medications, test results, and the next steps in your care. Reading them can help you remember the details of your visit and feel more in control of your health. The notes from your visit are part of your medical record.
You need a MSK MyChart account to see your note. Log into your MSK MyChart account here: MSKMyChart.mskcc.org. If you are not enrolled in MSK MyChart, ask your care team to send you an invitation. You can also go to MSK MyChart and select “Sign up now.”
How do I sign up for alerts about visit notes?
When you sign up for MSK MyChart you can choose how you want to get updates about your health. You can change the way you get updated at any time.
You can change your updates by following these steps:
- Select “Menu” at the top left. In the MSK MyChart mobile app, “Menu” appears as 3 lines at the top left.
- Scroll down to Account Settings and select “Communications Preferences.”
- Under Settings, you can review the notifications that are tuned on for email, text messages, push notification, phone, or mail.
- Under Details, you can update how you would like to be notified.
- When you are done updating, select the “Save changes”. This button is located at the bottom of your screen on the website and the app.
Where can I find my notes?
You can read visit notes in MSK MyChart by following these steps:
- Select “Menu” at the top left. In the MSK MyChart mobile app, “Menu” appears as 3 lines at the top left.
- Choose “Visits”
- Find the visit you want. Select “View notes” below it. In the MSK MyChart mobile app, it may appear as “View clinical notes” below each visit.
If you have trouble finding your notes, the MSK MyChart Help Desk is here to support you. Call 646-227-2593 to get in touch.
Who can see my notes?
You and anyone with access to your MSK MyChart account can see these notes. Family and friends who are an important part of your care can view your MSK MyChart account if you give them your permission. Remember, when you give someone this proxy access, they can see all of your medical records in MSK MyChart. This includes your visit notes, as well as records about your treatment, test results, and diagnostic information. They can see your billing information, but they can’t see your consent, insurance, and registration forms.
You can view and update who has access to your account by following these steps:
- Log in to MSK MyChart.
- In the top left, tap or click the icon with 3 lines to open Menu.
- Scroll down to Sharing and select “Sharing Hub.”
- Select “A family member, close friend, or caretaker.”
- Select “Grant or revoke ongoing proxy access to your record to family and/or friends.”
- Select “Invite someone.”
- Fill out the form and click “Send invite.”
How can I share my notes?
You can share your notes and send them to anyone you want to see them. This includes your healthcare providers outside of MSK, your caregiver, and friends and family who support you in your care.
To share your notes follow these steps:
- Log in to MSK MyChart.
- In the top left, tap or click the icon with 3 lines to open Menu.
- Scroll down to Sharing and select “Sharing Hub.”
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Here you can select:
- Yourself
- Family member, close friend, or caretaker
- Healthcare provider
- Anyone else (workplace, school)
- Once you select who you want to share your information, you can choose how you would like the information shared. Select the best option to meet your needs.
When is it helpful to read my notes?
- After your visit, to make sure you understood what you and your healthcare provider discussed.
- Between appointments, so you can review your healthcare provider’s instructions.
- Before your next visit, to help you remember what happened at the last visit. This also may help you think of new information to share with your healthcare provider, and new questions to ask.
What if I don’t understand my note?
You may not understand everything in your healthcare provider’s note. The names of some visit notes may look a bit hard to read and understand because they’re from your electronic health record. Also, healthcare providers use medical words to explain your health to other members of your care team. It’s common for patients not to know the meaning of some words. You can find definitions on websites such as the National Cancer Institute and MedlinePlus . You can also use “Messages” in MSK MyChart to ask your healthcare provider about the note. Usually you will get their answer in 2 business days (Monday through Friday).
What if I see a mistake in my note?
If you think your note is wrong or incomplete, contact the healthcare provider who wrote it by using “Messages” in MSK MyChart Your care team will take a look and get back to you. Usually you’ll get their answer in 2 business days (Monday through Friday). They may message you if they need more information from you, or more time to review the possible mistake. If there’s an error throughout your medical record, you will need to fill out a form called a Patient Request for Amendment of Records. Your care team will tell you if you need to complete the form and will send it to you.
The end of my note has “time spent” and “non face-to-face activities.” What does that mean?
This is information MSK uses to describe your visit. “Time spent” means the time your healthcare provider spent on this visit. It can include time your provider spent reviewing records before the visit, documentation, and activities after the visit. It does not mean how long your visit lasted, or how long your provider spent with you during your visit. You also may see information about the “visit level.” This describes how complex your visit was. You also may see other information, such as diagnosis codes, and whether this was a telemedicine visit.
What if I want to see all my notes?
Seeing your visit notes in MSK MyChart is different from seeing all of your medical records. You can ask us for a copy of your medical records by following these steps:
- Select “Menu” at the top left. In the MSK MyChart mobile app, “Menu” appears as 3 lines at the top left.
- Scroll down to Sharing and select “Sharing Hub.”
- Select “Yourself”.
- Select “Request a formal copy”.
- Fill out the form with all the required information.
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Your request will be processed.
- Your records will be available in your Documents Center in MSK MyChart. It usually takes 1 or 2 business days.
- While getting your records in MSK MyChart is fastest, we can also send your medical records by email or postal mail. If one of these options is better for you, fill out the “Instructions” box at the bottom of this screen to tell us how you want to get your records. You only need to fill this out if you would like your records sent by email or postal mail.
If you have questions, please contact our Release of Information department by phone at 646-227-2089 or email [email protected].