PATIENT ACCESS
Connie is working hard to improve your access to your health information, regardless of where you’ve received healthcare in Connecticut. Our current work represents just the first step in realizing Connecticut’s mandate to enable patients to have a centralized source of their health information, presented in an easy-to-understand way.
In this first phase, we’ve focused on providing you access to your health information from your different providers while giving you a choice in personal health applications (PHA) to use once your identity is confirmed.
Using a Personal Health Application (PHA)
This approach enables you to access your health data from all your providers while giving you a choice in PHAs once your identity is confirmed.
Carequality—a national healthcare data exchange network—recently developed a process to enable patients, using a validated mobile or web-based PHA, to access any of their own health data available on the exchange, including data in Connie. The following PHAs can be used to access data shared with Connie: Selfiie
To check if a PHA can connect to your health information in Connie, visit Carequality.
Connie is using Carequality as a gateway for PHAs because this exchange network has rules all PHAs must follow to access data through their exchange. This way, Connie only permits an application to access your data if (a) you are the one making the request, and (b) they have agreed to access your data by following the Carequality rules.
However, please be aware that once you give a PHA access to your personal health information available through Connie, it may no longer be protected by state and federal health privacy laws, including HIPAA, and Connie is not able to review and approve PHAs individually.
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Please select a third-party application at your own discretion.
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Review their privacy and security policies, terms, and conditions.
Need help vetting applications that connect you with your health data? The CARIN Alliance promotes the ability for healthcare consumers and their authorized caregivers to gain digital access to their health information. They have developed a trust framework and code of conduct for PHAs. For a list of PHA companies that have signed onto the framework and what the code of conduct includes, visit the CARIN Alliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost?
Connie does not charge any fees for accessing your data. However, some PHAs may charge a fee to use their apps. In the fall of 2024, Connie plans to make a Connie Patient Portal available. This service will be provided at no cost to users and will remain free with no hidden fees.
Is Connie selling my patient health record to PHAs?
No. Connie does not sell personal health information (PHI). Your PHI is protected by HIPAA, and we take that protection very seriously. Whether or not you choose to use a PHA to access your health information is your choice. We will only release your information to a PHA on your behalf with your approval.
Who can access their information in Connie?
All patients aged 18 and over may have access to their information once they have appropriately validated their identity.
At this time, parents and legal guardians of children aged 0-12 are not able to access their child’s information as we are working to develop an appropriate way to validate their identity and custodial relationship with the child. To comply with state and federal privacy laws, Connie is not able to provide any information for patients aged 13-17.
We encourage parents and guardians to access their children’s health information directly from their healthcare provider.
Why is Connie making patients go through Carequality to access their record?
We heard from many patients that they didn’t want yet another portal to access their health record. In addition, federal rules require organizations like Connie to let patients have a choice in how they access their health information. But patients didn’t want to worry about which apps were “okay” to use. And federal rules restrict how Connie can determine which apps should or should not have access. But we wanted some way for patients to have some peace of mind regarding the PHAs they give access to their health information. We feel Carequality provides a trusted framework for Connecticut patients to access their data.
Apps connected through Carequality have signed onto the CARIN Alliance Code of Conduct, considered an industry best practice for patient health information exchange. The CARIN Alliance is a multi-sector group of stakeholders representing numerous hospitals, thousands of physicians, and millions of consumers and caregivers. They are committed to enabling consumers to get digital access to their personal health information. They also believe that when an individual makes a request for their data to be sent to an application of their choice, it should be treated as an individual “right of access” request pursuant to the HIPAA Privacy Rule. More information about your right to access your health information under HIPAA can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services website.
What if I’ve opted out of Connie, but I’m still seeing my health data through the app?
If you have opted out of Connie but are seeing your health data in your selected PHA connected through Carequality, it is likely that the PHA is also connected to other sources of your health record in Connecticut. If you would like to confirm that Connie has honored your opt-out request, you can request an “accounting of disclosures”—a list of people who have viewed your healthcare information in Connie. To make the request, use this form.
What if I see a mistake in my record or I have questions about the information?
If you believe there is a mistake in your medical record or you have any questions about the information, you should talk to your doctor or healthcare provider since they created your medical record and are the only ones authorized to make changes. You can contact Connie, and we will supply you with a list of healthcare providers who have shared information about you, but Connie cannot change your medical record.
Why can’t I access all my information?
There are several reasons you may not be able to access or see all of your medical information.
Connie can only provide access to data sent to Connie. Providers may not send all data to Connie for various reasons.
In some cases, a licensed healthcare provider who believes that viewing or downloading your information could cause you or another person harm can request that Connie not provide you access to their information. You can contact Connie for more information about the provider who has made this determination. You have a right to appeal this decision with the provider directly.
A provider may determine the data they sent Connie was inaccurate and request that Connie not make that data available.
At this time, Connie is only able to provide data regarding the encounters you have had with different medical providers connected to Connie, and lab results. We are actively working to grow the list of data available to include medications, radiology reports, immunizations, health issues or “problems” you are experiencing, and allergies to name a few.
Providers only began coordinating patient health information through Connie in 2021, so health information will not go back beyond when providers started using Connie.
Why did I receive an error when I tried to access my information?
There are a few reasons why you may have received an error message. If you have worked through the PHA you have selected to address any issues, please call Connie’s user support services for additional help at (866) 987-5514 or (888) 783-4410, and select option 1 or email help@conniect.org.