The Senior Signal

Health and Medicare

Using your patient portal (like MyChart)

By Keith Ables · Published October 2026

An older couple looking at a tablet together

When your doctor's office says "check the portal," they mean a secure website or app where you can see your own health information any time, day or night. Many hospitals and clinics use a portal called MyChart, but yours may have a different name. Portals are usually free.

What you can do in a portal

  • See test results, often before your follow-up call.
  • Read visit summaries and your doctor's instructions.
  • Check your medication list, allergies, and vaccines.
  • Message your doctor's office with non-urgent questions.
  • Request prescription refills and appointments, at many offices.
  • Pay bills and join video visits, on some portals.

For anything urgent, call the office or 911. Portal messages can take a day or two to get an answer.

Getting signed up

  1. Ask at your next visit or call the office. They'll usually give you an activation code on your visit paperwork, or send a sign-up link by text or email.
  2. Download the official app, or use the website listed on your paperwork. Search for the name the office gives you:
    • iPhone: in the App Store (the blue icon with a white A).
    • Android: in the Google Play Store (the colorful triangle icon).
    Before you tap Get or Install, check the maker's name under the app. Look-alike apps exist. MyChart, for example, is made by Epic Systems.
  3. Create a username and a strong password. Let your phone's password manager save it. If you have several doctors, you may end up with several portals, each with its own sign-in.
  4. Turn on two-step verification if the portal offers it.

Let a family member help

Most portals offer proxy access: an official way for an adult child or caregiver to see your records or message the doctor with their own sign-in. It's safer than sharing your password, and you choose what they can see. Ask the office for the proxy form.

Stay safe

  • Only sign up through a link or code from your doctor's office, never from an unexpected email or text.
  • Your doctor's office won't call and ask for your portal password or a sign-in code.
  • On a shared or library computer, always sign out when you're done.

Sources: MedlinePlus: Patient portals, HealthIT.gov: What is a patient portal?

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