Patient information within the HIE is securely guarded and only accessible to authorized entities—the HIE participants—who contract with healthEconnect Alaska. HIE participants are bound by federal and state laws, including HIPAA. Moreover, they must adhere to healthEconnect’s stringent policies governing the proper use of patient information within the HIE.
A patient’s care team, which may include doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers, along with their health plan and those working on a patient’s behalf, are among the participants who can access health information in an HIE. The intent behind this access is to streamline a patient’s treatment process, coordinate care, manage cases, plan transitions of care, and handle payment for treatment. This information is only shared with healthcare providers who list patients in their practice or at the hospital. Providers must have an existing patient relationship to view their data in the HIE.
When required by law, certain approved entities like medical examiners and certain public health authorities might access the HIE for specific, permitted purposes.
At healthEconnect Alaska, we take data privacy and security very seriously. The use of the HIE is strictly governed and controlled to protect patient information and may only be used consistent with the law or our HIE policies.
Patients can request an accounting of disclosures from healthEconnect Alaska. This list of providers will include everyone who has seen any of your data in healthEconnect Alaska. You can request that list by completing the web form at: https://disclosures.crisphealth.org/.