Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why does my doctor need online access to my medical information?
At a routine office visit, your doctor needs to have your current records. In a medical emergency, the doctors treating you may not have time to track down critical information that could affect your treatment – and you may not be able to provide it. If you sign up with HIXNY to make your information available online to the doctors who need it, HIXNY can literally save lives.
How do doctors get my information now?
Your doctors rely on phone calls, faxes, mail, and you to provide information they need. When you sign up for HIXNY, your doctor will get a lot of your information from others who treat you using a secure online service. By spending less time tracking down information, doctors can spend more time on patient care.
Will my medical information be safe?
By law, HIXNY uses the most advanced security to protect your privacy. Access to your information will be limited to doctors treating you, and HIXNY tracks every person who accesses information. This service just makes it more efficient to get the information that is already being shared via telephone, faxes, and mail. There is no database that stores your information, just a secure way to share information between your doctors.
How do I sign up?
All you need to do is sign the HIXNY Consent Form and return it to the registration desk when you visit a health care provider that participates in HIXNY. Here is a sample of the Consent Form: English version. Spanish version.
What if I don’t want some of my medical information shared through HIXNY?
HIXNY is not set up to exclude specific information, such as mental health information or sexually transmitted diseases. However, your information is kept private and secure. Only medical professionals who help provide your care can see your information.
What should I do if I change my mind?
If you change your mind, ask for another HIXNY Consent Form to change your decision when you visit your doctor.
What organizations provide health information to the system?
A list of our data providers is here.
Why can’t all of my children participate in HIXNY?
New York State law allows certain minors to seek care for some conditions without parental knowledge or consent. Having their information accessible through HIXNY could compromise the confidentiality protection guaranteed to them by those laws. For that reason HIXNY does not ask for consent for 10 to 18 year olds.
What area does HIXNY cover?
HIXNY includes 17 upstate counties: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington.
