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1. What are the patient’s participation choices?

By default, an individuals’ protected health information can be searched for through the NDHIN, per North Dakota Senate Bill 2250, but an individual can choose to Opt Out of participation in the NDHIN. Opt Out means an individual has made a written decision that their protected health information cannot be searched for through the health information network, except as required by law or as authorized by the individual in an emergency. Even if a patient opts out of participation in the NDHIN, a treating health care provider will still be able to select the NDHIN as a way to receive the individual’s lab results, radiology reports, and other data sent directly to any treating health care provider that the provider may have previously received by fax, mail, or other electronic communications.

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2. How can a patient Opt Out?

 If a patient chooses to Opt Out of participation in the NDHIN, the Opt Out/Revoke Opt Out form will be required.

Nothing prohibits a Participant from establishing the number of times an individual may opt out or revoke their decision to opt out of participation in the NDHIN during a calendar year, or the situations in which a change in circumstances, such as death of a spouse, divorce, reaching adulthood, or relocation, may permit an individual to opt out or revoke their decision to opt out of participation in the NDHIN.

As a patient receiving care in North Dakota, if at any time a patient does not want to participate or if the patient only wants their information available in a medical emergency, they must complete and submit the Opt Out/Revoke Opt Out form with your office or contact NDHIN at ndhin@nd.gov.

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3. Is there a flag that tells providers that the patient has already been informed of the NDHIN options and made a choice or does the patient have to be asked with each visit?

The patient’s choice is clearly indicated in the Clinical Portal.

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4. Can a patient come in and request that a particular visit be confidential and Opt Out for that visit?

A patient cannot Opt Out of a visit, but sensitive data “could be filtered” so it is not sent to the NDHIN. The patient could also choose to Opt Out in full or Opt Out except for emergencies. Access is either to all or none of the data in the NDHIN unless they choose the option ‘Opt Out Except for Emergencies’ (refer to #5).

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5. Can a patient specify their information be accessed for emergencies only?

Yes, a patient can choose the “Opt Out Except for Emergencies” option and providers may only access the patient’s information in the event of an emergency. In the event of such emergency, the provider will have access to all of the patient’s information available through the NDHIN.

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6. Will the patients participation choice be immediately apparent to the provider and admit/registration person?

Once the NDHIN Office has received the signed consent form and the request has been logged, the patient’s choice and date will clearly be shown; refer to Q&A #3. It may take five (5) business days to process this request.

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8. Will a provider be able to click on a tab or icon within their EHR to access the NDHIN?

This is dependent upon the EHR’s integration capabilities. Some can simply query the NDHIN from within their EHR system. A “HIE” tab or icon will be embedded within their system. Other EHR’s do not have this capability and the provider will log into the NDHIN by going to https://hie.ndhin.com.

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9. Will the provider be able to see 100% of the patient’s clinical information?

Only the information provided to the NDHIN will be available. If the patient’s provider is not participating in the NDHIN, their information will not be available.

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10. How will adopting electronic health records (EHR) improve providers’ ability to service their patients?

By adopting electronic health records in a meaningful way, providers and hospitals can:

  • See the whole picture. All of a patient's health information—medical history, diagnoses, medications, lab and test results—is in one place. Providers don't have to settle for a snapshot when they can have the entire album.
  • Coordinate care. Providers involved in a patient's care can access, enter, and share information in an electronic health record.
  • Make better decisions. With more comprehensive health information at their fingertips, providers can make better testing, diagnostic, and treatment decisions.
  • Save time and money. Providers who have implemented electronic health records say they spend less time searching for paper charts, transcribing, calling labs or pharmacies, reporting, and fixing coding errors.
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11. How do I sign up to be a part of the NDHIN?

If you are interested in being part of the NDHIN. Please reach out to us at ndhin@nd.gov or (855)761-0534.

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12. Will I be able to exchange information electronically with providers in other states?

Yes! NDHIN is connected with the eHealth Exchange, formerly known as the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange, which provides connectivity between the states and networks that have joined them.

To learn more about accessing a patient's external records via NDHIN, click here.

 

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13. Where can I find a list of participating providers?

A current list of participating providers can be found at Providers Map | NDHIN | North Dakota Health Information Network