Patient FAQ

21st Century Cures Act

  1. What is the 21st Century Cures Act?

    1. Patients have had the right to request and view their entire medical record since 1970. The 21st Century Cures Act added additional requirements for sharing electronic health information with patients. These requirements were finalized in the ONC Final Rule published on May 1 of this year.
    2. The act is intended to foster greater transparency and provide you with the tools to more easily access and understand your own health information.
  2. What is my provider required to do?

    1. Your provider is now required to automatically release clinical notes and test results to the patient portal without delay.
    2. It is important to note that based on the regulations, there are certain exception criteria which may be exercised (risk of physical harm, privacy concern, behavioral health notes etc.).
    3. We believe that shared information with our patients and transparency is critical and has a positive impact on patient trust in their provider, patient engagement, shared decision making, and utilization of services.
  3. How can I obtain electronic access to my medical records?

    1. Simply sign up for the patient portal at your next office visit or online.
    2. If you are an existing patient and would like to create a new FollowMyHealth® account, go to HMG FollowMyHealth, click the I need to sign up button, submit a request to connect to Holston Medical Group and we will send you an invitation to connect. When you receive the invitation, simply follow the steps provided.
    3. If you have issues and need help, you can call us at 423-857-2288.
  4. What if I don’t understand what my provider put in my visit note?

    1. It is common for providers to use medical terminology in your visit note which may be unfamiliar to patients.
    2. We encourage you to reach out to your provider via secure message in the patient portal with any questions you have about the information in your notes.
  5. I received a test result that I’m concerned about. What should I do?

    1. We believe in information transparency and believe you deserve to see your information as soon as it is available.
    2. We release office notes and results immediately to you and you may see some results even before we do.
    3. We consistently monitor charts for returning results and will contact you with any results of concern.
    4. There are many results that may show abnormal but are not clinically important. There are other results that are really challenging to interpret and require reviewing other results and other information from your chart. Sometimes these are best discussed in person.
    5. Knowing this, if you still have an immediate concern, you can send us a message or call our clinic to discuss.

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