MyChart frequently asked questions

MyChart is a free service offered to our patients.

Anyone with an Inova provider can sign up for MyChart. You must be at least 14 years old to sign up for MyChart. Patient parents/guardians can request full proxy access for a child between the ages of 0-13 years old. Parents/Guardians of patients 14-17 will have limited access to the patient's MyChart account.

Teen patients will need permission from the parent or legal guardian FIRST before Teen Proxy can be granted.

Permission or revocation for teen access to MyChart

• This form is available in MyChart to submit electronically and be processed by Medical Records
• Parents can access the Teen Permission form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Family Access (Proxy)”

Call our MyChart support line at 1-855-694-6682.

Log into MyChart and click on “Menu”, go to the "Personal Information" under Account Settings section and select "Edit."

MyChart will automatically send you an email when you have new information in your MyChart account. If you are not receiving emails please verify that we have your current email address on file. To verify your email address or to set notification settings, click on “Menu” and select “Communication Preferences” from under the “Account Settings” section to review. You may also want to check your browser settings to make sure MyChart emails are not being sent to junk mail or your spam folder.

Patients who wish to participate may sign up during their visit or receive an activation code on their visit summaries. This code will enable you to login and create your own user ID and password. You may access your MyChart account by logging on to www.inova.org/mychart.  If you were not issued an activation code, you can request one directly from the MyChart website. Additionally, you may call your primary care clinic to get one emailed to you or ask to sign up during you next office visit. If you have misplaced your code from your hospital stay, you may call our MyChart Support Line at 1-855-694-6682. 

For your security, your activation code expires after 45 days and is no longer valid after the first time you use it. If you continue to experience difficulty logging-in, call our MyChart support line at 1-855-694-6682.

No, your activation code is not your MyChart ID or password. You will use this code only once to log into MyChart for the first time. (The code will expire after you have used it or after 45 days). When you log into MyChart the first time, you will then be asked to create your own unique MyChart ID and password.

You can still sign up for MyChart without an activation code. If you need additional support, contact the MyChart Support Line at 1-855-694-6682 and after we verify your information, a new code will be sent to you.

Choose a MyChart ID and password that is easy for you to remember, but hard for others to guess.

MyChart ID (username) rules

Your MyChart ID (username) may consist of:

• the letters a-z
• the numbers 0-9
• . (period)
• _ (underscore)
• @ ("at" symbol)

MyChart password rules

Your password MUST consist of at least eight characters, have a combination of numbers and letters (uppercase and lowercase) and at least one special character (for example, . @ ! ). Avoid using a password that is easy for others to guess such as a name or phone number. Please keep in mind that only you will know your and password. Customer Service will not have access to this information.

If you have forgotten your MyChart ID or password, you may click on the corresponding link on the sign-up page. When you click on the “Forgot your MyChart Username” link you will be prompted to enter your first name, last name, last four numbers of your Social Security number and date of birth. Once the Information is matched your ID will be emailed to you.

When you click the "Forgot your MyChart Password" link, you will be prompted to enter your MyChart ID, your date of birth and your email address. Next, answer the password reset question you created when you first signed up for MyChart. After answering the password reset question, you will be asked to select a new password.

There are a limited number of clinics that are unable to accept appointments via MyChart at this time. If you are having difficulty scheduling appointments with multiple caregivers or for multiple patients (such as two or more children), please call your provider’s office.

Yes. You can view the details of your upcoming appointment, confirm your appointment or even complete your eCheck-in. If a red "Cancel Appointment" link does not appear to the left of an upcoming appointment, you will not be able to cancel that appointment using MyChart. Please call your provider's office to cancel this appointment.

These requests are routed to appointment schedulers. Your doctor will not see this information. Please do not include any personal health information with an appointment request or an appointment cancellation.

Yes. You can schedule an appointment for someone if you have received proxy access to that person’s information as described above. To schedule an appointment follow the same steps as if you were scheduling an appointment for yourself.

MyChart offers eCheck-in for most appointments. Before your appointment, you may receive an email and text message asking you to complete the eCheck-in process for your upcoming appointment. During this process, you will be asked to complete questionnaires, sign documents, review and update your medication list, upload your ID and insurance card before your appointment time.

Before your appointment, login to MyChart, click “Visits” and then “eCheck-in” to get started. We ask that you complete this process at least 24 hours in advance of your appointment.

If you are unable to complete eCheck-in ahead of time, you may be asked to complete questionnaires, sign documents, update your medication list and fill out additional paperwork when you arrive for your appointment. Completing the eCheck-in process saves you time in the office and expedites your care experience.

Some forms and questionnaires may not be available via eCheck-in and may require in-person verification and signatures.

Yes. You can login to MyChart 24 hours in advance of your virtual visit to complete the eCheck-in process. After you complete this process, you can close out of MyChart until your video visit.

Here are a few examples of messages that will be reviewed and addressed within three business days:

• Appointment requests
• Advice regarding lab tests
• Current medication refill requests
• Follow-up questions from a recent appointment
• Medical advice on an upcoming procedure
• Brief health updates to providers

Here are examples of messages that should be addressed during an in-person or virtual visit:

• New symptoms or medical conditions that require evaluation by a provider or a referral to another provider for further advice
• Request for new medication or adjustment in current medication dosage
• Change in treatment plan for a chronic disease

To uphold our commitment to providing seamless, compassionate care, some of your medical messages may require more detailed guidance from an Inova provider. In these situations, we may suggest scheduling an in-person or virtual visit with us to ensure you receive the best level of care.

If the suggested in-person or virtual visit cannot be scheduled due to your or your provider’s availability, your medical message may be addressed with an e-visit. This gives us an opportunity to provide a more thoughtful, clear response with the best clinical guidance.

E-visits allow you to communicate with your doctor or other healthcare provider using digital communication, such as MyChart, to answer quick clinical questions. Similar to an in-person or virtual visit, standard charges, such as copays or co-insurance, will apply for an e-visit. You can verify coverage for online digital evaluation with your health plan. You also have the option to self-pay for an e-visit.

Based on your medical question, your provider’s care team will contact you if we need to schedule an in-person or virtual visit. If you’re unable to schedule a visit, you will be notified if your message will be addressed as an e-visit.

Your MyChart information comes directly from your electronic medical record at your doctor's office. Ask your doctor to correct any inaccurate information at your next clinic visit.  Your health information is reviewed and updated in your electronic medical record during each visit. If the medical information was gathered during a hospitalization, a written request for an amendment must be submitted to medical records as per Inova policies.

You can request a medication list update via MyChart. Once your healthcare provider confirms changes, updates will be reflected in MyChart. To request an update, you may click on "Menu," and choosing the “Medications” link under the “My Record” section. Click on the “Remove“ button to request that these medications be removed. At the bottom of your medication list there will be an option to “Add a Medication." If you wish to add a new medication, click on the plus “+” sign. The following screen displays a search field, type in the name of the medication and click search. Select the medication name and dose from the options provided. Select a start date. You will see the new medications that you have added on a list “Medications you’ve asked to be added."

If you do not understand your health information in MyChart, contact your healthcare provider for clarification or discuss your questions with him/her during your next clinic visit.

Yes, your providers may release new test results, recommend that you make a follow-up appointment, provide you with additional instructions, or ask you to call his or her office to discuss your test results.  Be sure to login to MyChart often to check for new information.

You may start by clicking on "Menu" and selecting "Messages" (in the Communication section). From there, you can select "Send a Message", then click "Message your Provider", choose a topic and finally select your provider’s name to start your message. You can message your provider if:

• The Inova provider is your primary care provider (PCP).
• You must have had at least one qualifying event, such as an office visit, with that Inova provider within the last year.
• You must have an upcoming scheduled appointment with that Inova or provider in the next 30 days.
• The Inova provider is part of your care team.

You will generally receive an answer within three business days. Please note that MyChart should not be used for urgent situations. IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING AN URGENT MEDICAL PROBLEM, CALL 911 OR YOUR PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.

You are able to attach a document by clicking on "Menu" and selecting "Messages" (under Communication). From there, you can select "Send a Message", then click "Message Your Provider", choose a topic and finally select your provider’s name to start your message. After you complete the form, at the bottom of the page, you will see "Attach an Image". You can attach a file based on the following criteria:

• You can attach up to 3 files
• The allowed file types are JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, TIF, TIFF
• The maximum file size is 6.00 MB for images and PDFs

Uploading images of your Insurance Card in advance of an appointment will help speed up the check-in process for your next visit.

1. Take an image capture of the front and back of your insurance card and save on your smart phone or computer
2. In MyChart go to Insurance Summary
3. Click add insurance card photos and then upload front and back

The allowed file types are JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, TIF and TIFF.

The maximum file size is 4 MB. You will have an opportunity to also do this during the eCheckin process for an upcoming appointment as well as view, update or remove an existing coverage.

Note: After upload, your insurance card will be placed in pending review for your provider’s office to review and add to your MyChart account.

Preventive care procedures are suggested based on your age and gender and in some cases a specific diagnosis you may have. You are encouraged to discuss this information with your primary care physician during your next visit. Your primary care physician can override preventive care recommendations that may not apply to your specific situation.

The "Last Done" date on your preventive care procedure may not have been recorded if the procedure or test was not performed at Inova. If you see a date that is inaccurate for a preventive care procedure performed at Inova, please discuss it with your primary care physician at your next visit so the record can be updated.

You can obtain your complete medical records or just abstracts by contacting the Health Information Management (Medical Records) department. While in MyChart, click on “Your Menu”, select "Document Center" and then select "Requested Records" to complete the "Self-Request" form. Alternatively, you can contact your Inova provider’s office for outpatient visits.

Active prescriptions written outside of Inova will not appear on your medication list unless they are documented by your Inova provider in your electronic medical record.

You should update your preferred pharmacy when requesting a prescription renewal.

Many people on your healthcare team are involved with these types of requests. Please do not include personal health information intended for your doctor.  A prescription renewal is not a method by which to communicate electronically with your physician on health related matters.

Every attempt is made to process prescription renewals within 24 hours of receipt during normal business hours. If you submit your request on a weekend or holiday, it will be received and processed the following business day. Contact your provider’s office for urgent renewals.

Your primary care physician will document all medications in your electronic medical record. If your primary care physician did not originally prescribe the medications but documented them in your record, you will see "contact your prescribing provider" in the provider information listed on the medication page. Medications in this category cannot be renewed through MyChart.

Medications that have been documented – but not prescribed – by an Inova provider cannot be renewed through MyChart. The "Request Refill" button won't show up in this case.

Click on “Menu”, select "Test Results" under the “My Record” section. On the "Test Results" page, click anywhere within the row to display the results for that test. For hospital lab results, select “yes” under “Include Hospital Results.”

Your test results are released to your MyChart account by an automated process or by your physician. If you feel that your test results should be available but you don't see them in MyChart, it is best to call your provider’s office to discuss the test results.

Test results of a very sensitive nature are not released to MyChart.

The text portion of radiology reports can be viewed in MyChart and are released at the discretion of the ordering physician. Radiographic images are not transmitted through MyChart. For a copy of your images performed at Inova visit, you can login to PowerShare.

Yes you can. This is called proxy access and allows a parent (or guardian) to log into their personal MyChart account and then connect to information regarding their family member. Patient parents/guardians can request full proxy access for a child between the ages of 0-13 years old. Parents/Guardians of patients 14-17 will have limited access to the patient's MyChart account.

Parents and legal guardians requesting proxy access to a child’s (0 – 13 years old), or adult to adult proxy access: This can be done in MyChart using an online form, or the form can be downloaded, completed and provided to your provider’s office or directly by postal mail to the appropriate hospital medical records department.

• Proxy Access to Medical Records via MyChart - online form
• Proxy Access to Medical Records via MyChart

Teen patients will need permission from the parent or legal guardian FIRST before Teen Proxy can be granted.

• Permission for Teen Access to MyChart - online form
• Revocation for Teen Access to MyChart - online form
• Permission or Revocation for Teen Access to MyChart

Once the Teen has been granted access and their account has been created, a proxy request for a parent or guardian can be submitted.

• Proxy Access to Medical Records via MyChart - online form

All of these forms are available in MyChart to submit electronically and processed by Medical Records:

• Parents can access the Child Proxy form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Family Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Parents can access the Teen Permission form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Family Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Teens can access the Grant Proxy form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Teen Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Adult patients can request access to another Adult’s MyChart account by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking Share My Record under Sharing. Choose Friends and Family Access to start the process.

No, due to the sensitive nature of medical information, each adult must sign and establish his/her own MyChart account. However, you can invite someone to see your record. 

You can request access to your child or teen's information two ways:

• Complete the process online
• Fill out paper forms (see links below) and return them to Inova staff at one of our medical facilities.

A form needs to be completed for each person requesting access. For example, if both parents want access to their child's or children's chart, each parent must complete the proxy form. Proxy access must then be established electronically from within the child’s medical record.

Parents and legal guardians requesting proxy access to a child’s (0 – 13 years old) or Adult to Adult proxy access:

• Proxy Access to Medical Records via MyChart - online form
• Proxy Access to Medical Records via MyChart English | Spanish

Teen patients will need permission from the parent or legal guardian FIRST before Teen Proxy can be granted:

• Permission for Teen Access to MyChart - online form
• Revocation for Teen Access to MyChart - online form
• Permission or Revocation for Teen Access to MyChart English | Spanish

Once the Teen has been granted access and their account has been created, a proxy request for a parent or guardian can be submitted.

Notes on parental access for teen records:

Teens will have full access to their medical record, including upcoming tests, procedures, lab results, contraceptives, and antiviral medications. Parents and legal guardians with proxy access can schedule appointments with select providers, complete the eCheck-in process and questionnaires, submit request refills, and conduct video visits for their teen. Parents and legal guardians with proxy access will not have access to the following:

• Full medical record, including upcoming tests, procedures, lab results, contraceptives and antiviral medications
• Appointment scheduling with providers in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) and Forensic Medicine
• Correspondence of MyChart messages with Obstetrics and Gynecology, Behavioral Health, Pediatric Psychology and Psychiatry providers

All the forms outlined in this section are also available in MyChart to submit electronically and processed by Medical Records:

• Parents can access the Child Proxy form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Family Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Parents can access the Teen Permission form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Family Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Teens can access the Grant Proxy form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Teen Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Adult patients can request access to another Adult’s MyChart account by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking Share My Record under Sharing. Choose Friends and Family Access to start the process.

Yes, proxy access is given to court appointed legal guardians. In order to have access granted you will need to provide a copy of the court order that grants the legal guardian access to the patient’s medical record. Attach a copy of the court document to the proxy access form and return to address on the form. If you have a family member with diminished capacity under your care, you may establish MyChart proxy access from their provider’s office.

Parents and legal guardians requesting proxy access to a child’s (0 – 13 years old) or Adult to Adult proxy access:

• Proxy Access to Medical Records via MyChart - online form
• Proxy Access to Medical Records via MyChart English | Spanish

Teen patients will need permission from the parent or legal guardian FIRST before Teen Proxy can be granted.

• Permission for Teen Access to MyChart - online form
• Revocation for Teen Access to MyChart - online form
• Permission or Revocation for Teen Access to MyChart English | Spanish

Once the Teen has been granted access and their account has been created, a proxy request for a parent or guardian can be submitted.

• Proxy Access to Medical Records via MyChart - online form

All of these forms are available in MyChart to submit electronically and processed by Medical Records:

• Parents can access the Child Proxy form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Family Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Parents can access the Teen Permission form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Family Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Teens can access the Grant Proxy form by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking “Teen Access (Proxy)” under “Resources”
• Adult patients can request access to another Adult’s MyChart account by clicking on “Menu” and then clicking Share My Record under Sharing. Choose Friends and Family Access to start the process.

Yes. Anyone with an Inova provider can sign up for MyChart. You must be at least 14 years old to sign up for MyChart.

You can deactivate any designated person who has proxy access to your MyChart. 

• Log in to your MyChart account 
• Click on Menu and select Sharing Hub 
• Select Family member, close friend or caretaker 
• Select Manage ongoing access to your MyChart account 
• Under Who Can See My Record, find the person you want to remove and click revoke

We take great care to ensure your health information is kept private and secure. Access to information is controlled through secure activation codes, personal IDs and passwords. Each person controls his or her password, and the account cannot be accessed without that password. Unlike conventional email, all MyChart messaging is done while you are securely logged on to our website.

We afford the same degree of confidentiality to medical information stored on MyChart as is given to medical information stored by Inova in any other medium. Inova is committed to protecting the confidentiality of your medical information. We limit Inova employees' access and ability to enter or view information based upon their role in your care. Firewalls, passwords, encryption, and audit trails are further used to safeguard your information. We keep a record of the records released and note the time and date of access each time the patient accesses MyChart. We have taken steps to make all information received from our online visitors as secure as possible against unauthorized access and use.

For other than general information viewing, MyChart must be accessed with a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) compatible browser or terminal (Firefox, Chrome or Microsoft Edge). Our SSL Web server uses authentication and offers the highest level of encryption technology commercially available (TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_256 bit keys, TLS 1.2).

You can tell when you are secure by looking at the location (URL) field. If the URL begins with https:// (instead of http://), the document comes from a secure server. This means your data cannot be read or deciphered by unauthorized individuals. You can tell whether you are truly connected to Inova by viewing the digital certificate. This certificate verifies the connection between the Inova server's public key and the server's identification.

User names and passwords provide two layers of authentication and are stored in an encrypted database that is isolated from the Internet. As a MyChart user, your role in maintaining the security of your medical information is:

• Changing your password on a regular basis, and
• Keeping your login ID and password confidential

MyChart is fully compliant with federal and state laws pertaining to your privacy. Your name and email address will be treated with the same care and privacy given your health records and will never be sold or leased by MyChart.

We aim to protect your privacy and security of your information. While logged into MyChart, if your keyboard remains idle for 20 minutes or more, you will be automatically logged out of MyChart. We recommend that you log out of your MyChart session if you need to leave your computer for even a short period of time.

You need access to a computer or mobile device connected to the Internet and an up-to-date modern browser (such as Firefox, Chrome or Microsoft Edge).

MyChart works best on Firefox, Chrome or Microsoft Edge. You can download any of these browsers for free. Apple Safari is no longer supported.

Yes. The MyChart® mobile application is currently available for your Apple© or Android™ device. You must have an existing Inova MyChart username and password to use the application. Download the MyChart app in the App Store or on Google Play*.

Open the MyChart app, click on Inova Health System as your healthcare provider and login with your MyChart username and password. If you need assistance downloading the app, please contact the MyChart Support Line at 1-855-694-6682.

* Once installed, please make sure you keep your App updated periodically.

We take great care to ensure your health information is kept private and secure. Access to information is controlled through secure activation codes, personal usernames, and passwords. Each person controls their password, and the account must be accessed using that password. On mobile, the account may also be accessed using face ID or fingerprint login. Unlike conventional email, all MyChart messaging is done while you are securely logged in to our website or mobile app.

You can ensure that your account stays secure even if someone else has your username or password by turning on two-step verification. When this feature is turned on, you must enter a code that is sent to you by email or text message to log in to MyChart, in addition to using your username and password.

You might receive email or text notifications that contain links to MyChart. These notifications allow you to login to MyChart securely using a link that expires after a short time. Keeping your MyChart account secure means keeping your phone number and email account secure. If you think that your phone number or email account may be compromised, you can change the phone number or email account on file on the "Personal Information" page in MyChart.