Please see the following update regarding the 21^st Century Cures Act: Cures Act Tip Sheet. Here’s a brief summary:

As you may recall, this federal rule mandates the release of results and clinical notes to our patients without undue delay. We have been complying with it since November, but there are a few minor adjustments being made this week largely as a result of clarifications to the federal rule. These changes will take effect on Tuesday.

• Note Sharing:
• When choosing to disable sharing of an individual note, you will be required to select a reason from a list of approved options as to why.
• Imaging Reports:
• Going forward, the entire narrative report will be displayed for patients via MyChart.
• Pathology:
• Since November, we have only been able to share certain pathology reports with patients due to technical limitations. This has been rectified and the vast majority of path reports will now be made available to patients following the same rules as labs (immediately for clinics; at discharge for inpatient & ED).
• “Delay” button:
• We are adding the optional 7-day delay button to almost every ambulatory order for lab, pathology & imaging. (The 7-day delay does not pertain to inpatient or ED orders).

All of the above only applies to patients viewing their information via MyChart.

Best Practices for Clinic Providers:

• Inform patients what you may expect to find when ordering a test.
• Tell patients that they will likely see their results before you do.
• Ask patients to allow you time to review the results and then contact them.
• Let patients know that not all “abnormal” results are significant.
• Remind patients that they get to decide whether to view their results right away or to delay doing so until they hear from you.

Remember, increased healthcare transparency is associated with improved patient satisfaction and engagement.