Mayo Clinic and EHR vendor Epic Systems have added Mayo’s symptom checker functionality into Epic’s MyChart portal. 

The new arrangement means that patients can use the symptom checker, previously available on Mayo’s website, to assess common ailments, such as dizziness, swelling, anxiety, migraine, cold or flu. 

Mayo’s symptom checker is driven by algorithms based on data entered by users. It runs 36 algorithms that cover more than 300 common symptoms.

[Also: Epic unveils interoperability tool for patients]

“Care guidance, based on the user’s selection of symptoms and responses to relevant questions, includes more information about possible causes tied to the symptoms, and, in most cases, provides recommendations on home care in non-emergent situations,” said Sandhya Pruthi, MD, a physician in the Division of General Internal Medicine and associate medical director at Mayo Clinic Global Business Solutions.

Mayo Clinic is offering Ask Mayo Clinic online as an option to both patients and healthcare providers who use Epic EHRs. The idea is to help other healthcare providers share the symptom assessment tool with patients.

[Also: Epic adds Mayo Clinic educational health info to patient-facing apps]

Mayo Clinic healthcare providers and nurse experts provide all symptom assessment content, Mayo Clinic noted, adding that content is regularly reviewed and edited to ensure accuracy.

To access Ask Mayo Clinic online, patients at participating health systems can look for the “Ask Mayo Clinic” navigation option within the MyChart portal.

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Email the writer: bernie.monegain@himssmedia.com