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Consent Frequently Asked Questions

What is HEALTHeLINK™?

New York State Regulations require that patient consent be obtained prior to health care providers being allowed to access Personal Health Information (PHI) and clinical data via HEALTHeLINK™.

What Exactly Am I Consenting To?

In order for a patient’s health information to be retrieved electronically by a physician office, a patient will have to sign a consent form. For instance, if your primary physician sends you to a lab for blood work and that information needs to be reviewed by a specialist such as a surgeon, then a patient would need to sign a consent form for that information to be retrieved electronically by the surgeon without the primary doctor’s involvement.

What Does It Mean To Me?

By consenting to allow your health care professionals to access your medical information, you are giving them instant access to information that could improve the quality of your care and could save you money through the elimination of duplicate testing. It also saves you the “hassle” of having to remember the dates and specifics of previous medical tests and the prescriptions you are currently, or had previously taken. This saves you time and assures the medical professional providing services to you has the most current, up to date information about you.

Can I Access My Records In HEALTHeLINK™ Directly?

HEALTHeLINK™ is a service for your doctor to get better access to your medical information specifically to improve the care they provide to you. Without your consent, your doctor can not get access to this important information via HEALTHeLINK™. This information is not available directly to patients via HEALTHeLINK™. If you want access to your own medical information, you should speak to your doctor. Some practices in Western NY have implemented patient portals that can provide to you some access to your medical information.

Who Is Participating In HEALTHeLINK™?

Most of the Hospitals in WNY as well as the major independent Labs and Radiology practices are participating in HEALTHeLINK™ and more are added on a regular basis. For a complete listing of the current participating data sources, click HERE

How Is My Personal Health Information Protected?

HEALTHeLINK™ uses state of the art security features that include multiple levels of password protection to ensure authorized user access (authentications), strong encryption, and restricted access. Unlike a paper chart, every access to your medical information via HEALTHeLINK™ by any user is logged electronically and can be audited. Protection of your PHI is of the utmost concern at HEALTHeLINK™.

Can I Change My Consent Status At A Future Point?

Yes. Your consent to HEALTHeLINK™ can be changed at any time by simply filling out a new consent form granting or denying consent and giving the signed form to your healthcare provider.

How Do I Go About Consenting To HEALTHeLINK™?

Consent to HEALTHeLINK™ can be done at any of our participating physician’s offices, or by contacting HEALTHeLINK™ at 716-206-0993 extension 311. Click HERE to get additional information on how to consent and to access the forms.