Prevention of Information Blocking

Important Information for Guthrie Patients Regarding Section 4004 of the Cures Act: Prevention of Information Blocking

Effective Date: April 1, 2021

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW THE GUTHRIE CLINIC COMPLIES WITH THIS REGULATION AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION.

The Guthrie Clinic, including its affiliated entities, is required by law to provide you with access to your health information. We comply with HIPAA regulations and the 4004 Cures Act requirements regarding access, including electronic access to your medical information. Details regarding this important legislation can be found at: Information Blocking | HealthIT.gov.

Guthrie is committed to:

  1. Promoting authorized access, exchange, and use under applicable state or federal law of such information for treatment and other permitted purposes under such applicable law, including transitions between certified health information technologies (health IT).

    Example: Guthrie utilizes a state-of-the-art Electronic Medical Record system known as Epic. Epic provides a module called Care Everywhere that is used to facilitate activities such as patient referrals, new patient visits, public health registries, syndromic surveillance, immunization records, and other healthcare data exchanges to improve patient care.
     
  2. Implementing health IT in standard ways that are likely to decrease the complexity or burden of accessing, exchanging, or using Electronic Health Information(EHI) for our patients.

    Example: Guthrie provides patients with access to their own medical records via our eGuthrie and MyChart portals.
     
  3. Implementing health IT in ways that are likely to promote the access, exchange, or use of EHI with respect to exporting complete information sets or in transitioning between health IT systems.

    Example: Guthrie exchanges EHI with Health Information Exchanges which promotes access at facilities other than Guthrie, where allowed by law.
     
  4. Supporting actions that lead to the prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse.

    Example: Guthrie utilizes Epic to ensure thorough documentation of patient care and electronic billing methods that are consistent with state and national guidelines, as well as to audit activities throughout Guthrie to prevent waste, fraud and abuse in our patient care and billing processes.
     
  5. Supporting innovation and advancement of health IT to enable robust health information exchange and enhance care delivery.

    Example: Guthrie participates with Health Information Exchanges which provide patient ED alerts, eGuthrie medical record access, Telemedicine visits, predictive analytics.

For More Information Regarding Access to Your Medical Record

You can access your medical records online with your eGuthrie account or request copies of your records at our website: www.guthrie.org/medical-records.

For More Information or to Report A Concern

If you have questions or if you believe your healthcare information is not being released in a timely manner, you may file a complaint with the Privacy Officer at 1-888-841-4644 or guthrie.ethicspoint.com.

Information blocking complaints can also be submitted through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), online at inquiry.healthit.gov.

Guthrie does not retaliate against anyone filing a complaint.

This Notice is applicable to all of The Guthrie Clinic Entities.
This Notice is provided on April 1, 2021.