Your Health Information. Your Choice.
Your participation in SHARE is voluntary. You can decide if you want your health information to be available in SHARE.
When your health care providers participate with SHARE and disclose your health records, they are required to let you know. When you visit a participating provider you should receive information about SHARE and your participation choices. This is often included with your provider’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
SHARE offers a number of benefits for patients, including better coordination between providers, fewer repeat tests and medical errors, better patient safety, and more. We encourage you to talk to your health care provider before you make a decision about sharing your information. It may also help you to review the Frequently Asked Questions.
What is SHARE?
SHARE stands for State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE) which is a part of the Arkansas Department of Health. It is a system that connects your health care records between your providers. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals.
What Does SHARE Do?
SHARE lets all members of your health care team who are connected to SHARE see your whole health history. When they can see these details, they have more information and can take better care of you. SHARE is the only system of its kind in Arkansas.
Who Can See My Records in SHARE?
Health care professionals are the only people who can see your records in SHARE. They can only look at your records if they are part of your care team. It is against the law for them to look at your records for any other reason than treatment, payment and operational purposes.
Can I Choose Not to Use SHARE?
Yes. If you do not want to use SHARE, tell your doctors’ offices that you want to “opt-out.” They will update your health record at their office to show that you do not want your record shared with other providers. If you decide later that you do want to use SHARE, let your doctors’ offices know.
Is My Health Information Safe If I Use SHARE?
SHARE follows all federal and state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) which protects your health information. These laws require your provider to keep your information private. If they share your records with each other in other ways (such as faxing or mailing), it will not be as safe as using SHARE.
How Can SHARE Help Me?
No matter where you go for care, your provider can see all your health records. They can even see the records from your other providers who use SHARE. This gives them information about your allergies, medicines, test results, and more. This could help if you have a health emergency and cannot give these details yourself.
What Happens If I Opt-Out of SHARE?
Your doctors may have a less complete record of your health. This means they may not have all the details they need to take the best care of you. Your health record may be sent from one provider to the next in less safe ways, such as faxing or mailing.
Patient Information About SHARE
With our downloadable flyers, patients can learn more about their participation in SHARE and how their medical information is handled.
Do Your Doctors SHARE?
If your health care providers are not listed in the participating provider directory, fill out the form below and ask them to join SHARE. We will route your request to your doctor and follow up with information about how to join SHARE.
Your doctors and other health care providers can give you better care and avoid mistakes if they have access to your complete medical history, such as lab tests, medication history, problem lists, current drugs and dosages, allergies, and other health reports. By having access to a more complete medical history, you can make better-informed decisions about your care plan with your providers, thus improving the quality of your care and avoiding costly medical errors.
