St. Charles Health System will switch to its new electronic health record system on Saturday, bringing its four hospitals and various clinics in the region under the same system for patient records, physician orders, registration and billing. The system will include a new online portal where patients can view their health records, view test results, book appointments and pay bills.

St. Charles also plans to pilot test an “e-visit” program at its family care clinic in Prineville and self check-in on tablet devices at three sites.

Hospital officials said the new Epic records system would improve communication between providers across the country, as the system is one of the most widely used platforms at large hospitals. That could make it easier for providers to access records of patients from outside the region being treated at St. Charles hospitals, and for hospitals in other areas to access medical records when treating St. Charles patients.