Frequently Asked Questions about MGH Downtown Primary Care

General Questions

What are your office hours?
Our office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Can I make an appointment as a new patient?
If you are not yet registered as a Mass General patient, please call the Physician Referral Service at 800-711-4644 to make your first appointment.

How can I access your online services?
You can access our online services by logging on to our secure web service, Patient Gateway. Enrolling in our online services is quick and easy. Simply go to Patient Gateway and click the “Enroll Online” link.  Our online services offer a convenient way to:

• Communicate with your provider
• Request an appointment
• Cancel an appointment
• Request a prescription refill
• Request a referral
• Request an insurance referral
• View most of your lab results

What can I expect at my appointment?
At your appointment with MGH Downtown Primary Care you can expect the following standards for excellence in health care:

• Your team will answer your questions, helping you better understand your health needs, and providing you with educational materials specific to your health care plan.
• When you have concerns about your health, your health care team will work with you to determine the best way to treat your needs. They will develop a care plan just for you.
• Our office can help you transfer records from your last provider.
• Our practice can screen and treat you for behavioral health issues, such as depression, and connect you with other specialists.

What can I do to help my health care team?
Be an active team player:

• Ask health questions so you understand your diagnoses and health care needs
• Communicate with your medical home team
• Tell us about your medical history and other health care providers, including visits to the emergency department or urgent care

Take care of your health:

• Collaborate with the team to develop your health care plan
• Set reachable goals
• Ask questions to make sure you understand how to follow the plan
• Tell your team if you have trouble following the plan or taking your medications
• Review the plan and change the goals as needed

Have a checklist for your appointment:

• Bring a list of your current medications and request any refills needed
• Bring a list of your questions with you
• Write down the answers
• Before you leave the office, be sure you know what you need to do until your next visit

What is the best way to request a prescription refill?
Current patients can request prescription refills online using Mass General Brigham Patient Gateway or by calling their pharmacy directly. When requesting a prescription refill, patients should have on hand the name of the medicatoin, the dosage, and the telephone number of their pharmacy. 

Most prescription renewals will be filled within 48 hours. Any requests received after noon on Friday will not be filled until the next business day. We urge patients to plan ahead so prescriptions will be ready when they are needed.

How do I request a referral?
Patients can request referrals via Patient Gateway or by calling our office at 617-728-6000.

Patients can also contact our Central Referral Line at 866-489-4046. Be prepared to provide:

• Name and call back telephone number
• Mass General medical record number or date of birth
• The name of the specialist
• Appointment date and time
• Visit reason
• Insurance company name and policy number

Routine referrals may take up to 14 days to process.

What is the best way to obtain my test results?
The best way to obtain your test results is by logging on to Patient Gateway. If you do not have a computer, your physician will typically mail you the test results. However, if you do not receive them, please call our office at 617-728-6000.

Medication Safety

How can I help to ensure safety with my medications?
The best way to prevent errors with your medications is to be an active member of the health care team. You should be a part of making the decisions about any medicines you are taking. Research shows that patients involved with their care get better results.

Can I assume my doctor knows what medicine I am taking?
Sometimes you will see a different doctor, visit a specialist, or need to go to the emergency room. In these situations, information about your medicines may not get passed on. Be sure to keep a list of all your current medications. Once a year, bring in all the medicines and supplements you are taking to the doctor's office for review.

How can I avoid getting the wrong medicine?

• Make sure your doctor know sof any allergic reactions or adverse reactions to any medicine you have taken in the past
• Be sure you can read the prescription given to you by your health care provider
• Make sure you know what the medicine is for and how you are supposed to take it
• Ask about any possible side effects
• Make sure the medicine is safe to take with the other medicines you are on
• Check the label on the medicine when you get it from the pharmacy to be sure it is the correct medicine and correct dose

I have to go to the hospital. What can I do to be sure that I will be getting the correct medicines?

• Have a list of prescriptions to show the health care team at the hospital
• When you are being discharged, be sure you know which prescriptions you wlil be continuing to take. Also, be sure you have a full understanding of any new prescriptions you will be starting
• Don't be afraid to ask questions

Medical Records

How can I obtain a copy of my medical records? 
To request a copy of your medical records please print, complete and mail our medical record release form to:

Mass General Medical Records
Release of Informatoin Unit
121 Inner Belt Road
Somerville, MA 02143

OR fax the completed form to 617-726-3661. 

If you have any questions regarding the release form, please visit our medical records information page or call our Medical Records team at 617-726-2361.