Feel free to read through the following FAQs to assist you in learning more about HealtheConnection.

• What is HealtheConnection?
  • HealtheConnection provides secure electronic access to health information from participating providers in Northeast Georgia (hospitals and physicians' offices) which includes information such as: your medical history, medications, allergies, images (x-ray, CT, etc.), lab test results and patient demographics.
    
    Patients can log in to the HealtheConnection patient portal to see certain lab results, schedule an appointment, send a physician's office a message and much more from any device with an Internet connection—including a smartphone or tablet.
• What are the benefits of using HealtheConnection?

  • HealtheConnection provides patients and healthcare providers a new way to electronically send, receive and store medical information electronically in one secure place. Patients can send a secure, electronic message via the patient portal to physicians’ offices at any time with non-emergency questions and concerns. If there is a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
    

    Patients, doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers can use HealtheConnection for:
    

    • Improved Access – Healthcare providers can immediately access a patient’s medical information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is important in emergency situations when there’s no time to wait for a fax or a phone call.
    • Easy Collaboration – All members of the care team see the same information in a patient’s records, which improves communication between providers and cuts down on unnecessary, duplicate tests that waste time and money.
    • Less Paperwork – Providers have access to accurate information about patients BEFORE the appointment.
    • All of these benefits ultimately lead to more efficient and coordinated care.
      
• Who contributes to HealtheConnection?
  • Hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers can contribute to HealtheConnection.
• Is information protected in HealtheConnection?
  • Federal law protects health information in HealtheConnection just as it does paper records. Only patients and those members of the healthcare team to whom the patient gives access can create, view, update or share records. Patients always have control of whether their information is available in HealtheConnection, and patients can opt out at any time.
• How do I know which healthcare providers use HealtheConnection?
  • HealtheConnection serves 19 counties across Northeast Georgia, and four counties in bordering states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. To determine if a provider or facility uses HealtheConnection, just ask the provider’s staff or call the HealtheConnection Help Desk at 770-219-7400.
• How long does it take to see results from appointments in HealtheConnection?
  • Most providers try to post results within 72 hours; however, some results may take longer to appear. Please ask each provider’s office to learn which results they release and how long it takes to post those results. (Not all results are released to the patient portal.)
• How do patients sign up to use the HealtheConnection patient portal?
  • HealtheConnection is available to patients at no cost. A patient of a provider or facility that uses HealtheConnection can tell the provider’s staff that he or she would like to sign up. Patients must request access in person so staff can verify their identity and protect health information.

    Click to Sign-Up

• What if patients choose to not use the HealtheConnection patient portal?
  • Signing up for the patient portal—where patients access their information—is voluntary. Healthcare providers can always access a patient’s medical information, unless he or she opts out.
• Is my information safe?
  • Yes. Federal law protects your health information on HealtheConnection just as it does paper records. Only you and members of your healthcare team have access to view and exchange your records. You always have control of whether or not your information is available in HealtheConnection by opting out at any time.
• Who is currently contributing to the exchange?
  • Currently, the following groups are contributing to the exchange:
    • Chatuge Regional Hospital
    • Northeast Georgia Medical Center
    • Northeast Georgia Physicians Group
    • The Longstreet Clinic
    • The Good News Clinic
    • Union General Hospital
• When can I see my results?
  • Most results are released to patients but some sensitive or potentially critical results are not released. Those types of results will be directly communicated to you by your physician. It takes 72 hours after your visit for your results to show up in your patient portal.
• My family member is interested in using the portal but they want you to just sign them up with my information.
  • Currently we are only setting up the patient with their own information. Once they are setup, they may elect to have you help them by using their login and password, but that decision is up to the patient.
• How do I opt out?
  • You can elect to not use the patient portal, but we highly recommend that you not opt out of your information going into the exchange. Your medical records are currently available to your care team via fax or mail by providers and your other care coordinators.
    
    The Health Information Exchange just makes it easier for your care providers to collaborate on your care. Also there may be a time, for example in case you need care in the emergency room, where it would be beneficial for the emergency room team to be able to access your medical history in order to give you the best care possible.
    
    If you do wish to opt out of your information going into the exchange please fill out this form.