There have been multiple postings about Electronic Health Records (EHR) on the SHARE blog recently because, since the hospital implemented the Fair-Warning audit system, SHARE Reps have seen a distinct rise in the number of members being disciplined for accessing records inappropriately. Things aren’t as they used to be. Many rules have changed. People have even gotten in trouble for looking up an appointment time for their own young child. See these previous posts for more information about accessing Electronic Health Records and Fair Warning.
When someone gets in trouble for improper use of EHR, the employer quickly points out that employees who wish to look up appointment times, pay bills, etc., should use the Patient Portal. If you haven’t yet signed up for the Patient Portal, consider doing so now; that way it’s all set up before you have an urgent need for the information there. If you're unfamiliar with it, the hospital's Patient Portal website describes the site's features, and how to sign up.
We would love to know your experience getting signed up. If you've experienced problems getting access to Patient Portal through your provider, or have had problems with the site itself, we would like to know your story, so that we can help the hospital know how to improve the system. It’s only fair that they make the system usable. If you have questions or concerns, please send an email to kirk.davis@theshareunion.org, or call the SHARE office (508-929-4020).