The use of electronic information transmission incorporates several benefits into the current healthcare delivery system. With the rising costs associated with healthcare, the use and implementation of a widespread HIE solution has never been greater.
Implementing an HIE solution allows doctors to view results from a previous visit almost instantly as well as view your results given at another physician office.
Chances are, Doctor A does not know that you are going to visit Doctor B and therefore will not transfer your information over. If you are currently taking a prescription medication given to you by Doctor A and Doctor B does not know, you may be prescribed something that creates a conflict which will cause harm to you.
Implementing an HIE solution will also increase your safety. Using traditional fax machines can cause a breach of security which means your information getting into the wrong hands. This way, your results are inputted directly into the electronic software and you do not have to worry about others viewing it.
Just because your information is electronic does not mean it will be viewed by others. Our solution is not something that can be accessed on the traditional internet and can only be viewed by selected physicians.
Even though we provide a secure solution for your medical information, this information is still viewed by humans who could violate the acceptable terms of use. We offer a tracking device that tells us when an unauthorized user views your information. Consequences are put in place so that if the person violates your rights to your personal health information, he/she will be terminated.
Who Can See Your Information?
Only authorized doctors, nurses, and yourself are allowed to view your medical information. The only way your information will be shared outside of these individuals is if we share it with the local health department to help stop the spread of communicable diseases. What this means is that we would only give the diagnosis information to the health department in order for them to see where the largest outbreaks of a specific illness are.
For example, if the hospital discovers that there is a flu epidemic spawning across a college campus, they may report the information to the health department to help stop the spread of this disease. At this point, the diagnosis information is not patient specific, meaning your name is not attached to it.
You are able to “opt out” of having your information shared by contacting your doctor’s office to see if they participate.
Before you make any decisions, remember that sharing your information does not identify you as a patient. Sharing information helps to improve the quality of care that patients receive and in no way will violate the terms of use or security laws set in place by the federal government.
What Data is Available?
MHC complies with state and federal law relative to which data can be shared within the exchange. Specially protected data (e.g., substance abuse) is not being sent to the exchange at all in order to ensure those special protections are maintained.
