QHN improves the quality of healthcare by

• Reducing duplicate testing
• Reducing the risk of adverse drug reactions
• Minimizing errors caused by lack of access to needed health records, missing or hard-to-read paperwork
• Allowing for easier specialty care and second opinions with simplified access to all current patient information
• Improving emergent and urgent care by providing immediate access to critical, potentially lifesaving, health information

By allowing healthcare providers to work more efficiently, QHN helps to moderate the growing costs of healthcare.

You have the right to prevent your medical provider(s) from viewing the health information in the “Patient Summary” view of the QHN System. The Patient Summary view of QHN is a repository of your health information from multiple sources that participate with QHN. This right to prevent access is referred to as “Opt- Out.”

If you choose to opt-out, your medical provider(s) will NOT be able to access your health information in the Patient Summary record of QHN, even in the case of an emergency. Your medical provider(s) will continue to use QHN for the electronically exchanged health information to receive medical information including laboratory and other diagnostic testing results, in their practice electronic health record.

We strongly encourage you to talk to your healthcare provider and discuss your concerns regarding the ability of your medical providers to access your health information in QHN before you make a decision to opt-out.