Your Questions
Q. Do I need to do anything to participate in HealthInfoNet? Is there a fee?
A. No. Your information will be included when you visit a participating doctor or hospital. There is no cost to the patient.
Q. What if I do not want to participate?
A. You can opt-out securely online by filling out an opt-out form, over the phone during business hours at 207-541-9250 or 1-866-592-4352, or through mail by filling out and sending in the form available at your provider’s office. Important: When you opt-out out, your information will be deleted, meaning if you decide to opt back in at a later date, you will have no information in the system.
Q. What health information about me is shared through my HealthInfoNet record?
A. Your HealthInfoNet record contains prescriptions, allergies, lab and test results, image reports, conditions, diagnoses or health problems and medical visit notes. To make sure HealthInfoNet enters your medical information into the right record, also shared is your full name, sex, birthdate and social security number if you provided it to your healthcare provider.
Q. What health information about me is not be shared?
A. Your HealthInfoNet record does not contain information from substance abuse or mental health treatment facilities, mental health diagnoses and HIV diagnoses and test results. However with recent changes in Maine state law, patients will be able to choose to share this information if they want to in the future. HealthInfoNet can include information that may indicate a sensitive health condition. For example: If a patient shares mental health or substance abuse information with a primary care provider or in a hospital emergency room, this information may be included and viewed in HealthInfoNet by other providers caring for them.
Q. Who is able to see my health information?
A. Only members of your health care team with correct identification and unique passwords can use HealthInfoNet. This may include your doctor, nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists and other clinical staff involved in your care. And, before they can view your record they must confirm they have a relationship with you and a need to see your information.
Q. How can I find who has viewed my record?
A. HealthInfoNet keeps track of everyone who accesses your record, when they accessed it, and what information they looked at. Click here to request an audit report of this information.
Q. Will my medical information be posted on the Internet or sold for someone’s mailing list?
A. No. HealthInfoNet uses a secure private network that is not connected to the Internet. Information that identifies you will not be sold and you will not be added to any mailing list.
Q. How can I find out if my doctor or local hospital is taking part in HealthInfoNet?
A. Visit our Participating Healthcare Organizations page for a full list of those participating.
Q. What if I receive care at a health care organization that is not participating in HealthInfoNet, what happens to my records?
A. Only providers who are participating in HealthInfoNet can access and include information in the system. If your provider does not participate in HealthInfoNet, they will continue to update your medical record in their own system, and they will share your medical records as they always have, by mail, email or fax. However, the goal is that all providers in Maine will participate in the future.
Q. What if there is a mistake on my record, how will I get that fixed?
A. Your HealthInfoNet record includes information created by the health care providers caring for you. If you know of an error, please let your provider know about that, so that they can update the information. Once they do this, it will be automatically updated in HealthInfoNet.
Q. How far back will my records go?
A. You may have records dating back to as early as December of 2008, because this is when a large number of organizations starting participating in the system. Your original medical record is not being replaced; it will be maintained just as it has always been.
Q. How often is the system checked for security failures or hackers?
A. Security tests are performed on an ongoing basis, to make sure that the records remain secure. Click here for more information about our privacy and security policies and practices.
Q. Is it against HIPAA rules for you to have shared my information?
A. No. HIPAA does not require patient consent when information is used to support treatment, as is the case with HealthInfoNet. In its contract with participating organizations HealthInfoNet is defined as a business associate under HIPAA. This allows HealthInfoNet to act as a “virtual medical record department” to collect and store medical records, and allow authorized providers to review and upload records. Having a third party manage medical records is common practice.
Q. Who is behind HealthInfoNet?
A. HealthInfoNet is a Maine-based nonprofit organization founded in 2006. It is independent and is not owned by insurance companies, healthcare providers, employers or the government. It was started by a group of people representing patients, healthcare providers, payers and public health.
