Seattle Children’s Health Information Exchange (HIE)

Seattle Children’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) is an electronic system where hospitals, doctors and other healthcare providers share your health information. Your information is shared automatically unless you opt out.

Providers share this health information about you through the HIE: 

• Illnesses and injuries
• Allergies
• Medicines
• Lab tests
• Treatments
• Diagnoses

Providers do not share your “sensitive information” through the HIE. This is health information that is protected by federal or state laws. Examples include:

• Psychotherapy notes
• Involuntary psychiatric admission information
• Drug and alcohol treatment records
• AIDS/HIV results

We will not share details about sensitive information. However, your diagnosis or medicines related to sensitive information may be included. Your providers will continue to have access to this information outside of the HIE as allowed by law.

Federal and state laws limit how your health information can be used through the HIE. Your information can only be used for:

• Treatment
• Payment
• Healthcare operations (e.g., to schedule, improve services, measure staff performance)

For more information about your health information rights, see Seattle Children’s Notice of Privacy Practices.

Since your providers can share information more easily, they can get an up-to-date, fuller picture of your health. For you this can:

• Improve care
• Save time
• Save money
• Prevent treatment delays
• Prevent duplicate tests, medications or treatment.

Healthcare organizations involved in your medical care and that are members of the HIE. If your provider is not part of the HIE, they can still access your information through other methods allowed by law, like fax or email.

The HIE follows all privacy laws about sharing health information. To keep your information secure, the HIE uses technology that tracks who has accessed your records. It also prevents those who are unauthorized from accessing your records at all.

Even though there are many security protections, if your records were accessed by someone not authorized, the law requires that we notify you about the steps we have taken to correct the problem.

No. You can choose not to share your health information through the HIE by “opting out.” This will not affect your care in any way. If you opt out, this means:

• Your health information will not be available electronically to providers who use the HIE, even in emergency situations.
• Providers would share your health information as they do now – through other methods allowed by law, such as fax, phone or mail.
• If you change your mind, your information will be kept out of the HIE until you complete and mail in an opt-in form(PDF).

Your information is included in the HIE unless you opt out.

Complete and mail an opt-out form (PDF). A parent/legal representative can sign the form OR a patient age 13 and older can sign the form.

If you have previously opted out and would like to include your information in the HIE, complete the opt-in form (PDF) and mail it in.

For patients ages 13–17, both the patient and the parent/legal representative need to sign the form to opt back in to the HIE.

Call the HIE Support Desk at 206-987-4444.