We Have Updated Our Break the Glass Policy

We recently updated our Break the Glass (BTG) policy to outline the ways employees can request this enhanced privacy safeguard for their medical records.

What Is Break the Glass?

It’s a control within Epic that can be enabled on individual patient medical records to warn staff who are about to access the record that an enhanced safeguard is in place. The safeguard requires the user to re-enter their username and password. It is meant to serve as a reminder and deterrent to prevent unauthorized users from accessing a patient’s electronic medical record. Epic users may break the glass on a patient’s medical record for business purposes only. There is no need to ask the patient if you may break their glass.

What’s Changing?

We have outlined the process for applying BTG to employee medical records. BTG is applied when Carilion Clinic is listed as the patient’s full-time or part-time employer. Because some employees work multiple jobs, they may not have Carilion Clinic listed as their employer. In this case, employees can request BTG protection by asking for their medical record to be updated to note Carilion Clinic as their employer.

What Do You Need To Do?

If you want to have Break the Glass applied to your medical record, contact your primary care provider’s office or contact the Privacy office at privacy@carilionclinic.org. Employees may not apply Break the Glass to their own medical record in Epic.

For More Information

The Break the Glass Policy is available through PageCenterX. It’s also linked under the Downloads header below.

If you have questions, contact the Privacy office at privacy@carilionclinic.org.