Q: What are the advantages of being in the CCHIE network?
A: CCHIE allows all your authorized healthcare providers, regardless of their location or type, to share medical information while maintaining your medical privacy and security. This would include lab reports, referrals, specialists, hospital reports, radiology tests, etc. Any provider that has a relationship with you, would have access to accurate, streamlined and timely information. This will reduce errors, duplications, unnecessary tests and procedures as well as reduce delays in getting results. This would mean a higher quality of medical care, efficiency, more clinical time to spend with you and a higher level of treatment satisfaction.
Q: What type of information is being exchanged by the HIE?
A: Only health information for providing care is exchanged between authorized healthcare providers who have an established relationship to you, the patient, and need to know this information to provide you treatment. The HIE uses the minimum amount of personal information to ensure the right information about the right patient is shared with the right provider.
Q: Who has access to my health information?
A: When your healthcare information is shared through CCHIE, information on access is electronically stored, like an accounting history. This means the identity of who accessed your information, the date of the access, the reason for the access and the types of information accessed are all tracked and audited. With paper records, it is very hard to track who saw your information, what information was seen and whether it was authorized. Using CCHIE, it makes it easier to enforce the laws and policies restricting access to your record and it helps you, the patient, track the privacy of your health information in a way that is not possible with paper records.
Q: How will I know if my healthcare provider participates in CCHIE?
A: If your provider participates in CCHIE, they are required to notify you at your next appointment or at the time of registration. This is similar to their HIPAA notice and may, in fact be a part of the provider’s HIPAA notification. Only providers who have entered into a legal contract with CCHIE and agree to abide by its strict privacy and security policies and are compliant to relevant federal and state laws are allowed to access their patient’s information through the HIE.
Q: Do I have to participate in CCHIE?
A: No, if your healthcare provider participates in CCHIE, you, the patient, do not have to participate. You have a choice to “opt out” at your next appointment or at time of registration. Should you choose to opt out, CCHIE is committed to honor your request and ensure your information is not searchable.
Although your healthcare information is not searchable, your healthcare provider may still use CCHIE to issue electronic orders for healthcare services, (lab, prescriptions, referrals, etc) and also use CCHIE to receive results and other information that is sent electronically. This service is no different than your provider using fax, mail, telephone or hand delivery of your medical information.
Q: Will my employer or insurer be able to access my healthcare information?
A: No, not without your explicit written authorization. CCHIE provides a platform to share pertinent healthcare information exclusively between healthcare providers for treatment purposes. CCHIE provides a safe method to transport health information from one provider to another. Even sensitive information, like genetic testing, are subject to additional legal protection and CCHIE complies with all laws, policies and regulations ensuring privacy, security and protection of your medical information.
Q: Is my health information sitting on the Internet for anyone to see?
A: No, CCHIE and its participating providers take the privacy and security of your information very seriously. Healthcare providers are only allowed on the CCHIE network using a secure log in or encrypted authorization. And, providers can only have access to your information if they have an established “treatment “relationship with you.
CCHIE has zero tolerance regarding inappropriate use of the HIE network.