FAQs

What is HealtheConnections™?

HealtheConnections™ is a Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO), which is a secure, electronic health information exchange that gives authorized medical providers access to essential patient information such as test results, lab reports, radiology results, medication history, insurance eligibility, and more.

People often visit many different offices, physicians and other providers when getting help with a medical condition. With HealtheConnections™, your information goes where you go. That helps your doctors to make more informed decisions about your care and treatment with accurate, up to date information. It also helps to eliminate repeated testing, allows for easier second opinions, reduces the risk of adverse drug reactions, and minimizes errors in reading handwriting and transcriptions. By allowing providers to work more efficiently, HealtheConnections™ can help moderate the growing cost of health care.

Who created HealtheConnections™?

HealtheConnections™ is a non-profit, community-run organization. The state and federal government are promoting the creation of RHIOs in a movement toward national standards for secure electronic exchange of health information. HealtheConnections™ is one of 12 RHIOs in New York State and one of approximately 300 nationally.

Who provides patient information to HealtheConnections™?

Beginning in 2011, additional hospitals, physicians, and labs will be connected throughout an 11 county region that includes: Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, Tompkins, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Herkimer, Lewis, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence.  Over time, long-term care facilities, other healthcare entities, and connections to essential public health information will also be incorporated. 

How will doctors and medical providers use my information?

Your electronic health information will be used by the healthcare providers that you allow only to:

How do I know if my doctor participates in HealtheConnections™?

If your doctor is a participant, he or she will give you a HealtheConnections™ consent form to sign when you visit their office. To view a list of all the current participating providers, Click here.

If my doctor begins using HealtheConnections™, does that mean he/she can view my information electronically before I sign a form?

No. All patients must sign a consent form for their chosen providers to view information electronically.

If you visit a doctor who is not yet a participant and agree that HealtheConnections™ is a valuable service for patients and physicians, you are welcome to encourage him or her to join. Both doctors and consumers can get more information by visiting www.healtheconnections.org.

Will HealtheConnections™ help me in a medical emergency?

Yes. In a medical emergency, you are likely to be seen by doctors who are not familiar with your medical history.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have declined consent to a particular provider, that doctor – as well as all colleagues and staff members in the practice, hospital, or other organization where he/she is employed – will NOT be able to access your information even in a life-threatening emergency.

Who will be able to access my personal health information using HealtheConnections™?

HealtheConnections™ is only used by authorized medical professionals to improve patient care. The federal and state rules protecting privacy and personal control of medical information aren’t changing. Most patients currently allow medical professionals to access the clinical information in HealtheConnections™ via postal mail, fax machines, and phone calls. HealtheConnections™ allows it to be exchanged faster and more efficiently using a secure online exchange. Patients choose whether to participate in HealtheConnections™.

What if I don’t want my medical information available through HealtheConnections™?

Patients can choose not to have their information shared electronically via HealtheConnections™ by declining consent to their medical providers. For most people, this information is already being shared by phone, fax or hard-copy as part of their patient care. It is important to note that by not participating in HealtheConnections™ it will not change the care you receive from your physician. However, if you have declined consent to a particular provider, that doctor - as well as all colleagues and staff members in the practice, hospital, or other organization where he/she is employed - will NOT be able to access your information using HealtheConnections™, even in a life-threatening emergency.

HealtheConnections™ is not set up to exclude specific visits from the health information exchange. Your HealtheConnections™ information may relate to sensitive health conditions including but not restricted to alcohol and drug abuse problems; birth control and abortion; genetic diseases or tests; HIV/AIDS; mental health conditions; and sexually transmitted disease. If you want to prevent all your health care providers from knowing about a specific medical event you may want to consider not participating in HealtheConnections™.

Parents or guardians can provide consent on their children’s behalf for ages birth – 9 years.

New York State has special privacy protections for minors between the ages of 10 – 18, so a consent form is not provided and the health information for this age group is only accessible in a life-threatening emergency.

Will HealtheConnections™ be a target for identity thieves and hackers?

HealtheConnections™ does not create a centralized database of patient information, just a secure way to exchange information electronically between health care providers. HealtheConnections™ technology offers new tools for patient privacy that protect against unauthorized use of the exchange. The patient information being exchanged will remain protected at the hospital or doctor’s office or lab, where it is now.

Unauthorized access to paper records is a frequently reported problem. For instance, in the current system, when one provider wants to share test results with another provider, that information is typically faxed to the second provider’s office. Any number of office staffers has access to that fax and there may be no record of who actually sees it, reviews it or files it. It’s certain that electronic sharing will be faster and more efficient, with less chance of mistakes. Further, HealtheConnections™ provides the ability to track each person who views, reviews and files the results. In this way, HealtheConnections™ offers greater privacy protection than the current system.

HealtheConnections™ employs role-based security with the most advanced information safeguards available. Encryption, password protection, the ability to track every viewer and other safeguards protect against unauthorized use of the exchange. The precautions are reviewed by a panel of HIPAA compliance officers from hospitals in the region, as well as regional and national information technology experts.

Will my doctor or hospital be required to take part in HealtheConnections™?

Not immediately, but in the future it appears likely that the federal government will require electronic health information as part of the Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs. Most hospitals and many physician practices today share information electronically over private Intranet networks. HealtheConnections™ will extend sharing to other health care providers over secure Internet connections. Providers won’t be forced to participate, but the Central New York medical community has a long tradition of working cooperatively to better serve patients.

What area is being served by HealtheConnections™?

HealtheConnections™ serves an 11 county region in Central New York that includes: Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, Tompkins, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Herkimer, Lewis, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence.