Cures Act Phase One Go-Live Is Friday, Feb. 5

Submitted by abshaver on

The first phase of our Cures Act implementation will go live this Friday, Feb. 5, during the evening hours. The changes will include:

  • Open notes: Patients will have access to providers' notes in MyChart that were not previously visible. Providers should be aware of this as they are entering notes in patient charts.
  • Immediate release of most labs: The release of lab, imaging and pathology results in MyChart will not be delayed. This means patients could see lab results before their provider has reviewed them or had a chance to discuss with the patient. We will include language in MyChart and the AVS noting that patients should give providers 2-3 business days to review results; providers should make every effort to notify patients of this change and discuss results with patients as soon as possible after they are released.
  • Adolescent proxy access: We will allow teens aged 12-17 to have access to their medical records, with parent permission. There will be options for proxies to have either full or limited access. All current proxy access of teen medical records will be changed to limited access with the go-live on Feb. 5, and patients will need to re-activate their proxy access.
  • Confidential notes and lab order question: Confidential notes will allow providers to create a specific note type to manage private and adult-deemed services. The lab order question will allow providers to hold the release of a lab result at the time the order is placed and cite the exception reason. Although most labs can and should be released, this option will allow providers to withhold release of labs related to adult-deemed services from MyChart.

Below are downloads for two handouts for patients that we will make available in provider offices – one is a broad overview of the changes patients will see in MyChart, and the other is targeted toward teens and describes their rights related to the medical record and proxy access.

All providers and clinical staff had education assigned in Cornerstone OnDemand. Please complete this assignment by the end of the day on Friday, Feb. 5 to ensure you are prepared for these changes.

If you have questions, contact Chief Medical Information Officer Steve Morgan, M.D., at samorgan@carilionclinic.org.

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Changes will include open notes, immediate release of most labs, changes to adolescent proxy access, and options for confidential notes and lab orders.
All providers and clinical staff should complete their assigned education in CSOD by Friday, Feb. 5.
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In May 2020, the federal government released new regulations focused on patient access, interoperability and information blocking. These regulations are related to the 21st Century Cures Act and the Interoperability and Patient Access final rule (CMS-9115-F).

A goal of these regulations is to give patients greater access to and control over their health care data. Ultimately, this is a change in the way the federal government views health data – moving from viewing it as “owned” by the provider or health system to viewing it as “owned” by the patient.

Read more in this Sept. 25 article on Inside Carilion.

Title
What Is the 21st Century Cures Act?
Downloads
Name
Patient Handout: What's New in MyChart
Description
This flyer provides an overview of the Cures Act-related changes patients will see in MyChart beginning Feb. 5, 2021.
Name
Patient Handout: MyChart Proxy Info for Teens
Description
This flyer has information for adolescents about their rights related to the medical record and adolescent proxy access.