Your results are in!
We understand how important your health information is to you and your family. Which is why you will now see your test results appear in myDH as soon as they are finalized. When we say test results, we mean results related to bloodwork you have had drawn recently, X-rays, ultrasounds, or MRIs, to name a few. As we start to share these test results with you in myDH as soon as they are available, there may be times that you will see a test result before the provider who ordered it. Our providers look at every result and a member of your care team will contact you with any concerning results.
Frequently asked questions
These frequently asked questions will help you learn more about the Cures Act. If you have additional questions, please talk to your health care provider.
What is the 21st Century Cures Act’s Information Blocking Rule?
This regulation ensures that clinical information is more readily available to providers, patients and payers, removing barriers and delays related to traditional medical record request processes and fully realizing the capabilities of modern electronic health record systems.
Dartmouth Health hospitals and clinics already share the majority of the data that is required to be shared under the Cures Act in myDH, the patient portal.
What can I now see in my portal and when can I see it?
Almost all diagnostic test results and clinical notes, with rare exceptions, will be immediately released to the myDH patient portal without delay. Sometimes, this means that you may see your results before your provider has seen them. Please understand that we look at every test result, and your provider will contact you for anything that needs follow up.
Results and notes not in myDH before April 5th will not be released retroactively. You can reach out to the medical records team to have those notes and tests sent to the portal by
- Log in to myDH.
- Click the My Documents tab.
- Click on “Request my Records.”
Should I wait to look at my results until after I’ve heard from my provider?
With this new regulation, you can now decide when is the best time to see your results—which could be immediately after they are finalized, or you could wait until your provider’s office contacts you. You should talk to your provider when they order your tests about what the best plan will be for you—sometimes, patients prefer to wait to hear from their provider first for results that can potentially be life-altering, like a biopsy.
How will I be notified that my results are available in myDH?
In order to reduce the amount of notifications you receive, we will be turning off email and text reminders when results are available and notes from the visit are signed by your provider. You will receive a notification to view your results, however, when your provider sends you a comment on your result.
Which results won’t I be able to see?
- Genetic test results ordered by Genetic Counselors – These test results will be released after meeting with genetic counselor.
- Some adolescent testing that are protected by privacy laws
- Some test results that are sent outside the facility for processing and come back to us as a document
Which notes can I see in myDH?
Inpatient notes will now be in the portal immediately after the provider signs them.
We will also be releasing more note types, like telephone notes. Some of this information may be more administrative than clinical.
You will now see some notes for your children ages 12 to 17. Confidential communications between the adolescent and his or her care team, or treatment that the adolescent seeks him or herself, may not be released to you if protected by state or federal privacy law.
Can I view documents that were scanned into my record?
More scanned documents associated with visits at a Dartmouth Health hospital or clinic will now be included in the portal. These documents can be found under in the My Documents Section and the list of document types we send to the portal will continue to expand. The list of document types may not include a complete, comprehensive list of documents in your medical record, but you can always request a copy of a document you need by visiting the My Documents tab and then clicking on “Request my Records.”
Documents received from non-Dartmouth Health facilities may not be viewable in your myDH portal.
Who else might see this data?
More information will now be viewable by your proxy, so please keep this in mind when allowing another individual to be a proxy to your myDH account. You can always ask your provider to not send a note to your portal.
What can I do if I feel a provider has made an error in one of my notes or if I feel there is an error with one of the results?
If you feel like there is an error in your record, please fill out the amendment request form that can be found within the portal in the My Documents section. You will need to print and submit per the instructions provided on the form.
For more information
- Information blocking - The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology offers additional frequently asked questions about information blocking.
- Reading your patient notes - These frequently asked questions are intended to help patients at any health care organization understand how to read patient notes.