USF Health patients have access to most of their clinical data through MyChart. A federal rule called the 21st Century Cures Act, which went into effect in November 2020, is designed to give patients more control over their personal health information.

USF Health provides nearly all physician-generated clinical documentation related to your visits with USF Health providers and releases them to you via MyChart.

Once your physician completes the notes and documentation associated with your USF Health appointment, those details will automatically be sent to your MyChart account.

This more complete documentation includes lab results, imaging results, and pathology results, along with completed notes and orders related to your visits with USF Health providers.

• What is the Cures Act? Why is it happening now?
  The rule change, known as the ONC Cures Act Final Rule, is part of the 21st Century Cures Act. It is designed to give patients more control over their health information. This part of the regulation (Information blocking) is designed to help provide patients access to their electronic medical record information. The final rule was published in May 2020 with an effective date of April 5, 2021.

• Why am I seeing prior medical results in MyChart now?
  It is important to us that we share the most information that we can regarding your medical results. Based on feedback from our patient advisors, we found that most patient are in favor of seeing all results. You may not see all your results starting November 2, 2020 but we are working on getting them all viewable in the near future.

• What if I have questions/concerns about the meaning of some of the information I see?
  If you have questions/concerns regarding your health information, please reach out to your provider via a MyChart message.

• What can I do if I feel a provider has made an error in one of my notes or if I feel there is an error with one of the results?
  If you feel like there is an error in your record, please fill out the amendment request form via the MyChart portal. The form can be found under the Resources or Health tabs in MyChart. You will need to print and submit per instructions provided on the form.

• If I receive a test result that does not make sense to me, what options will I have for reaching my provider or someone who can help explain it to me, especially if it looks to be a scary diagnosis?
  Because we release results to you immediately, you may see results before your healthcare provider has seen them. Some results may be difficult to interpret, so you may wish to wait until your provider’s office contacts you. Please allow your provider time to review the result and follow up with you within 3 business days. If you have an immediate concern, please contact your provider.

• If I have an immediate concern that requires me to speak to a provider after-hours, will I have someone I can speak to?
  If you have a concern that cannot wait, you can call the clinic number after hours to reach the on-call provider for your clinic. It is of course better if you can wait to discuss this with the provider who ordered the test since they would know you the best.

• Where on MyChart will I find all this newly added information?
  Results will still be found under the Test Results section of MyChart. Notes and other clinical documented information will be found under the Visits> Appointments and Visits section. Click on each encounter to see the specific documentation associated with it.

• Will there be a MyChart message/notification when the upload of all past results are now available?
  There will NOT be a notification. Once turned on, you will see past results when you login to MyChart and navigate to the Test results section.

• What records will be available to me in MyChart?
  Most clinical data after November 2nd will be available to you via MyChart. We will not be releasing notes that were written before Nov. 2nd, 2020 to MyChart. To obtain copies of any notes before this date, please contact medical records via the release of information (ROI) department. When we turn the setting on, all your previous medical results will be in MyChart at once.

• What is included in “clinical data” that will start to be released to me immediately as of Nov. 2nd?
  The data set includes these categories:
• • Allergies
  • Assessment and Plan of Treatment
  • Care Team
  • Clinical Notes
  • Demographics
  • Goals
  • Health Concerns
  • Immunizations
  • Labs
  • Medication
  • Problems
  • Procedures
  • Provenance (metadata)
  • Smoking Status
  • Unique device identifiers for implants
  • Vitals

*Notes include: Consultation Notes, Discharge Summary Notes, History & Physical, Procedure Notes, Progress Notes
**Labs include: Imaging Results, Laboratory Results, Pathology Results

• What is included or meant by “clinical notes” that will be instantly released?
  Clinical notes are notes written by a variety of physician and clinical staff that are pertinent to your care either in an outpatient or inpatient setting. Example of these notes are progress notes, consultation notes, procedure notes, history and physicals, and discharge summaries.

• If I am hospitalized, will all notes, tests, etc. also be automatically uploaded into MyChart throughout my stay or is this only for outpatient services?
  Yes, as soon as a provider signs a note or after a test is resulted, it will be automatically uploaded into MyChart without delay even when you are admitted to the hospital as an inpatient.

• What sort and search tools will I have when looking through years of records in MyChart?
  For Notes, there is the ability to filter by past and/or future appointments/visits and the ability to filter by provider(s).
  For Test Results, there is the ability to sort by test, ordering provider, and date. Also, there is the ability to free text search.

• Will absolutely everything be auto released into MyChart, or will some things be held back from me? And if so, for what reasons will the information be held?
  While almost everything is auto released, there are a few exceptions. Certain federal or state laws prohibit us from releasing notes or results automatically. One such example is HIV tests, for which there is a state statute. This result can only be released after the provider has spoken directly with the patient.
  Notes can also not be shared per the provider’s discretion if there is a warranted reason such as preventing harm to a patient (i.e. active investigation).

• Is there a MyChart technical support line/email I can contact if I need help navigating the system and these new changes?
  Please send email to mycharthelp@usf.edu

• How can I share this information to another provider (non-TGH/TGMG/MyChart)?
  You can share your record in multiple ways by going to the Health>Medical tools section and by selecting ‘Share My Record’ topic.

• Is the information in MyChart easily downloadable/copyable?
  You can download your information by going to the Document Center under Health>Medical tools section and then clicking on visit records.