A health information exchange, or HIE, is a secure electronic network that lets the doctors, hospitals, clinics, and other providers caring for you share your health information with each other. Iowa has one statewide HIE, and Converge Health Iowa operates it.

Most Iowans see more than one provider. Your primary care clinic, a specialist, an urgent care, a hospital, a pharmacy, and a behavioral health provider may each hold a different piece of your health story. The HIE brings those pieces together so the person treating you can see the full picture instead of guessing or starting over.

A few examples:If you arrive at an emergency room unconscious or unable to speak, the care team can look up your allergies, medications, and conditions.If you are traveling in another part of the state and get sick, the clinic you visit can see your recent test results.You may avoid repeating a lab test or imaging study that was already done somewhere else.Your providers can spot dangerous drug interactions they would not otherwise know about.

No. There is no cost to patients.

No. Your patient portal is run by your provider or health system and shows you the records from that organization. The HIE is the connection between organizations that lets your providers share information with one another. We do not have a patient-facing portal.

Typically things like your name and date of birth, visits and admissions, diagnoses, medications, allergies, immunizations, lab and imaging results, and care summaries. Not every provider sends every type of information.

Only authorized users at organizations that have signed a participation agreement with the HIE, and only for permitted reasons such as treating you, coordinating your care, handling payment for your care, or protecting public health. Every user has a defined role that limits what they can see. All accesses are audited and logged.

The HIE matches records using multiple identifying details, not just your name. This is one of the most carefully monitored parts of the system. We use a Master Patient Index (MPI) to ensure accurate patient matching.

Yes. Every time someone accesses information through the HIE, the system creates a permanent audit record showing who looked, when, and from which organization.

No. Your health information is maintained in our closed network and is not sold, and it is not used for advertising or marketing.

Federal and state laws place additional protections on certain categories of information, including substance use disorder treatment records covered by 42 CFR Part 2. The HIE applies those protections and can restrict or hide specific types of information based on the rules that apply to it.

No. Iowa law gives you the right to decline having your health information available through the HIE's record locator service, which is the function providers use to search for and pull up your records. Declining is your choice and yours alone.

No. Iowa law is explicit on this point. No provider may refuse to treat you because you chose not to participate.

To opt out of the HIE, follow this link: Converge Health Iowa Opt-Out Form You will be required to validate your identity, and your demographic information is required on the form in order for us to locate any records you may have in our system. We will maintain your demographic record in our Master Patient Index (MPI) with your consent preference. The MPI is not accessible by others.

No. Your providers still keep the records they create about you, and you can still request copies from them directly. Declining means those records will not be found or retrieved by other providers through the HIE's record locator service.

Yes, in either direction and at any time. If you opt-out and later want to opt-in, you can rejoin. If you are opted-in and later want to opt-out, you can do that too. You will need to verify your identity each time so we know the request is really coming from you.

Please allow up to 2 business days to process your opt-in or opt-out choice. We will confirm in writing once your request has been processed.

If you are a parent, guardian, or legal representative, you may be able to make this choice on someone else's behalf. Contact us at support@ConvergeHLTHiowa.org and we will walk you through what is required.