Patients and visitors are using the MyChart mobile app to access health information and manage emergency department visits across several health systems [1].
This shift toward mobile integration allows patients to make critical health decisions and plan medical visits in real time, reducing friction during hospital admissions.
In Virginia Beach, Sentara Healthcare has implemented a feature allowing users to track emergency room wait times [2]. A Sentara spokesperson said, "Patients can now better plan for visits to the emergency room by viewing estimated wait-times online and in MyChart" [2]. The system has rolled out this wait-time tracker to five of its facilities [2].
Other providers are utilizing the platform for lifelong health decisions. Cottage Health in California added a tool for organ donation registration on April 30, 2026 [3]. The CEO of Cottage Health said, "We are proud to give patients the ability to register as organ donors directly through MyChart" [3].
These digital tools are being adopted globally to streamline the patient experience. Johns Hopkins hospitals utilize the app for stay-specific features and personal health data [1]. In Toronto, the platform has been described as an e-health triumph, with reports highlighting its utility for patients, including a 59-year-old user [4].
By moving these services to personal devices, hospitals aim to empower patients with immediate access to their medical records and the ability to complete administrative tasks, such as donor registration, without paper forms [1, 3].
“Patients can now better plan for visits to the emergency room by viewing estimated wait-times online and in MyChart.”
The integration of administrative and clinical tools into a single mobile interface represents a transition toward 'consumerized' healthcare. By digitizing wait times and legal registrations, health systems are reducing the operational burden on front-desk staff while increasing patient autonomy over their medical data and legal status.
