FAQ'S
**Wholeview Direct offers patients the ability to consent to participate in Healthix, a Health Information Exchange. Below are FAQ’s from Healthix that provide information about their program. **
Who is Healthix? Healthix is a non-profit, health information exchange funded by the NYS Department of Health. We are committed to securely exchanging patient data to improve the quality and efficiency of care. Healthix collects and aggregates patient information from thousands of providers in the Greater New York area. Patient data is made available to providers with patient consent.
Why is health information exchange important? You likely receive medical care from several physicians and providers – each with their own medical record for you.
If your providers share this information with one another, they will gain a fuller picture of your health. Having your complete medical history, including prior treatments, test results, and allergies helps them provide the best treatment. It can also: reduce duplicate tests/labs, lower the likelihood of adverse drug interactions and enhance provider communication.
Which providers supply data about me? Healthix receives clinical information from over 8,000 facilities – from large hospital systems to small doctor practices. For a complete list of data suppliers, see our Participant List. This will help you to determine if your personal providers are supplying data to Healthix.
Must I give consent for my providers to supply data to Healthix? No. Healthix is a business associate of each provider organization in the Participant List. Under HIPAA, this gives Healthix the right to collect, organize and hold the data from different sources, creating a master patient record. Data about you can only be released with your consent.
What is Patient Notice? It is mandatory for providers to display a patient notice informing patients that your facility is participating in Healthix. The patient notice must be displayed and readily available (See Patient Notice here). The patient notice informs patients that their Protected Health Information (PHI) is being uploaded into Healthix and explains how they may choose to deny consent for all Healthix Participants. Healthix provides a standard patient notice which must be enforced. If your provider participates with Healthix, but does not inform you, kindly contact compliance@healthix.org
Can I change my consent? Yes. Consent is voluntary, and can be changed at any time, simply by submitting another consent form. If you are undecided, your patient information can still be accessed in an emergency situation.
What data can be viewed from Healthix? Healthix contains patient data, such as lab and radiology results, medications, allergies, diagnoses, medical encounters and more. Please be aware, if you provide consent, sensitive medical information may be accessed related to HIV/AIDS, mental health, genetic disease or tests, alcohol or drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and family planning.
Who can view my health information? As a patient, you have the right to control whether any Participating Provider can access your medical information. A provider involved in your care must have your consent to access your information through Healthix. The decision to participate in Healthix is voluntary.
Is my information secure? With Healthix, you can be sure your information is private and secure. We follow all NYS and Federal requirements to ensure the proper protection of patient information. When consent is granted, only care givers involved in your care can access your medical information.
Can Healthix help me locate a missing person? Healthix staff do NOT have the authority to access patient health information in order to assist family members, loved ones and/or care partners of missing persons. Healthix’ data services are made available to city and state officials when a state of emergency is declared. This access allows members of the NYC police and NYC Department of Health employees to access data from Healthix in order to locate people reported missing ONLY during this defined period of emergency. Outside of these periods, family members, loved ones and/or care partners of missing persons have a number of options to contact for assistance:
311 is available online, by texting 311-692, or by calling 3-1-1 from within the City or 212-NEW-YORK outside the five boroughs. TTY service is also available by dialing 212-504-4115. Call the emergency departments of the hospitals located closest to the residence of the missing person.