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Sentara Health is pleased to offer you Sentara MyChart as a customer (patient) of Sentara Health’s affiliates (“Sentara”). 

Sentara MyChart is an online service that provides you with convenient access to information in your medical record. It also offers a method of online communication with your health care provider(s) and practice staff to request prescription refills, schedule appointments and send messages. Please keep in mind that Sentara may add or remove your access to MyChart features. If any part of this document is applicable for a feature you do not have access to, then that applicable part of the document does not apply to you.

We think that it is important for you to know how we manage information within Sentara MyChart. This Terms & Conditions Statement outlines important information for you to know about Sentara MyChart. Please carefully read these terms and conditions before using Sentara MyChart. These terms and conditions are subject to change without prior written notice at any time at Sentara’s sole discretion. If we update these terms and conditions, you will be asked to accept or decline the new terms and conditions the next time you log into your Sentara MyChart account.

We reserve the right to revoke (remove) access to MyChart at any time.

Definitions:

  1. “MyChart” or “Sentara MyChart” as it is used here means the electronic patient portal products, web and mobile, that Sentara licenses from Epic Systems Corporation and maintains for patients.
  2. “Medical Record” means the documents under Sentara's control, whether paper or electronic, that chronologically explain the details of a patient’s history, clinical findings, diagnostic test results, pre and postoperative care, patient’s progress and medication.
  3. “Parent” means an individual with biological or adoptive rights to a child.
  4. “Legal Guardian” means an adult person appointed by a state court to be responsible for the personal affairs of either an incapacitated adult or a minor. This person must have a court order outlining their responsibilities as a guardian.
  5. “Proxy” as it used here means a person who has been granted the authority to access the medical information of another person in order to help manage the care of that person.
  6. “Incapacitated person” is defined as a person who, for reasons other than being a minor (child), is unable to receive and evaluate information or make or communicate decisions to such an extent that he or she lacks the ability to meet his or her essential needs with respect to physical health, safety, or self-care, even with appropriate technological assistance.
  7. “Incompetent” as used here, an individual who is unable or incapable of making their own medical decisions.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE FOR ALL AGE GROUPS

By creating a MyChart account, you agree to the following:

Disclaimer

MyChart does not contain your complete medical record. If you would like to see your complete medical record, you may request a copy in the following ways:

We try our best to make sure that MyChart is always working properly, but there may be times when MyChart is unavailable or slow or not working correctly. We are not to blame for any problems that may arise from being unable to see your information via MyChart.

These terms and conditions may be changed by Sentara at any time. When they are changed, you will be asked to accept or decline the updated terms and conditions the next time you sign in to your Sentara MyChart account. If you do not accept the updated terms and conditions, your MyChart account will be disabled and you will be given directions about how to re-activate.

If you have questions or problems with MyChart we encourage you to contact us in one of the following ways:

MyChart Messages

We will try our best to respond to all MyChart messages within 1-2 business days. In some cases, the clinical staff that need to respond to an electronic inquiry or other communication may not be immediately available and it may take us longer to respond. MyChart is not for emergency care and treatment. If you have a potentially life-threatening emergency, call 911.

All messages sent through MyChart will be added to your medical record. Messages you send to your medical provider(s) may be viewed by your clinical care team and other Sentara workforce members as needed to support Sentara’s instance of MyChart.

It is important to be clear and concise in any messages sent via MyChart so as to avoid any misinterpretation. If insufficient or unclear information is provided, we will be unable to provide accurate and reliable responses and may return your message for clarity or ask you to communicate with us using other forms of communication such as a telephone call, a telehealth visit or an in-person appointment.

E-mail Notifications and Privacy

MyChart users are given the option to receive email notifications when new information is available in MyChart. These notifications are intended to prompt the MyChart user to check their MyChart account and do not include any detailed medical information. You must log in to MyChart to see any messages from your health care provider. If a MyChart user provides an email address that can be viewed or accessed by others, the MyChart user should be aware that the notifications sent to their email address can be seen by those individuals.

For example, if a MyChart user asks that MyChart send notifications to their employee email address, the employer would be able to see the notification letting the MyChart user know they have new information available. MyChart users should consider this when providing an e-mail address.

If you no longer wish to receive email notifications from MyChart, you can turn off email notifications by navigating to Communication Preferences in MyChart and modifying your notification settings.

Please know that emails you send to Sentara, and the email address you have on file at Sentara, may be shared with your clinical care team, billing teams, or other Sentara workforce members or service providers as deemed appropriate by Sentara.

Security, Confidentiality, and Privacy

We make every effort to ensure the privacy, confidentiality, integrity and availability of your information in Sentara’s MyChart portal(s). We have taken steps to make all information received from our online visitors as secure as possible against unauthorized access and use.

We afford the same degree of confidentiality to your information in MyChart as is given to your information stored by Sentara in any other medium. Firewalls, passwords, encryption and role-based access controls are some of the ways that we safeguard your information.

Your MyChart username and password are unique to you because they are created by you. Usernames and passwords are stored in a secure manner by Sentara. If you choose to share your MyChart username and password with someone else, they will be able to access all the information in your MyChart account. As a MyChart user, you can help maintain the security of the information in your MyChart account by 1) Changing your password on a regular basis 2) Keeping your username and password confidential and 3) Using unique passwords that are not easily guessed by someone else.

Your ability to sign into your account with your username and password will be automatically blocked after a certain number of failed attempts to access the secure portion of the MyChart portal(s).

An additional step you can take to protect your information is to ensure you are accessing MyChart securely. You can tell when you are secure by looking at the location (URL) field. If the URL begins with https:// (instead of http://), the document comes from a secure server. This means it is highly unlikely that your data can be read or deciphered by unauthorized individuals. You can tell whether you are truly connected to Sentara by viewing the digital certificate. This certificate verifies the connection between the Sentara server's public key and the server's identification.

For additional information about the ways Sentara may use or disclose your protected health information, please see the Sentara Health Notice of Privacy Practices (located at https://www.sentara.com/Policies-and-Agreements/Sentara-Integrated-Notice-of-Privacy-Practices).

Personal/Medical Information Notice

Sentara may contact you via email or the phone number(s) you have given us, as needed, in order to help us provide care for you. However, if you are concerned that the communications you are receiving from Sentara are fake or malicious, please contact us through either of the following ways:

Website Links

MyChart may offer links to related medical websites not managed by Sentara. These website link(s) are for informational purposes only. Sentara does not endorse and has not verified the accuracy of the information in/on these websites, and the patient should not rely on any of the information found on the websites for purposes of treatment or diagnosis.

Deactivation

Your Sentara MyChart account may be deactivated at Sentara’s sole discretion. We want individuals to have access to MyChart. However, in certain circumstances Sentara will deactivate a user’s account.

We will deactivate your account if you fail to agree to an updated version of these terms and conditions. In addition, a parent/guardian’s access to a child’s MyChart account will automatically deactivate when the child reaches the age of 14.

Below is a list of other examples of when an individual’s MyChart account may be deactivated. The list does not include all the reasons why Sentara might deactivate an individual’s MyChart. Each situation will be evaluated individually.

1. Inappropriate use of messaging or scheduling, which includes but is not limited to:

a. overuse of messaging
b. inappropriate content
c. threats, intimidation, and/or cursing

2. Abuse of proxy access

3. Pending legal issues with patient or direct family that alters a person’s rights to see their family member’s records

a. Example: child abuse cases

4. Poor response to training

a. Inability to use features without constant assistance

5. Incarcerated individuals

a. MyChart access will be revoked while an individual is incarcerated for the safety of Sentara Health staff, patients and visitors

Other Sentara Account Features

Sentara may provide access to additional features like online payment of a hospital bill. Please be sure to check for terms and conditions of use and/or privacy information for each individual feature when you access the feature.

Some Sentara locations have wayfinding technology installed in order to provide you with a better experience in our facilities including but not limited to offering location maps. You may opt-out of this service at any time by disabling or not allowing location tracking for the Sentara MyChart app (individual device settings may vary).

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE FOR ADULTS (AGE 18 AND OVER)

The use of MyChart requires your agreement with the following conditions (in addition to the conditions specified for all age groups):

Age Restrictions

An individual must be age 18 or older to request a personal account. Parents or guardians of minor children may request to establish a MyChart account for their minor child and have access to their minor child’s account up until the child turns 14 years old. Once the minor child turns 14, parents or guardians may have access to their minor child's account by following the terms outlined in the " MyChart Proxy Access Overview" section of this document.

Unless a court has issued an order restricting (limiting) or revoking (putting an end to) a parent’s right to make medical decisions on behalf of their minor child, both parents have equal right to access the minor’s MyChart account. Access will be revoked only with valid copies of court orders revoking parental rights. Verbal statements by one parent are not sufficient to revoke the other parent’s access.

Parents and/or guardians are responsible for providing valid copies of court documentation of custodial paperwork upon request by Sentara Health.

If a situation occurs where it is in the best interest of the minor, a parent/legal guardian may revoke consent to electronic medical record access. If this occurs, both the minor and the parent/legal guardian will lose their access to the minor's account.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE FOR MINORS AGES 14 TO 17

The use of MyChart requires your agreement with the following conditions (in addition to the conditions specified for all age groups):

Age Restrictions

Parents/guardians may have access to their minor child’s MyChart account up until the child turns 14 years old. Minor children between the ages of 14 and 17 may have his/her own MyChart account and will be eligible to participate in the full spectrum of MyChart services. However, minors between the ages of 14-17 are given control over their own MyChart accounts.

Under State laws, there are certain types of medical information that the parent or guardian of a patient may not view without the consent of the minor patient once that minor patient becomes an adolescent. Because of these requirements, when a minor patient reaches age 14, the parent/guardian will not be able to access the child’s MyChart account without the child’s authorization unless the child has been deemed mentally disabled.

Minors may grant parents/legal guardians Proxy access to their MyChart account by following the terms outlined in the "MyChart Proxy Access Overview" section of this document.

Except as described above, and unless a court has issued an order restricting (limiting) or revoking (putting an end) a parent’s right to make medical decisions on behalf of their minor child, both parents have equal right to access the minor’s MyChart account. Access will be revoked only with valid copies of court orders revoking parental rights. Verbal statements by one parent are not sufficient to revoke the other parent’s access.

Parents and guardians are responsible for providing valid copies of court-issued custodial documentation upon request by Sentara Health.

MyChart Proxy Access Overview

MyChart users can use the proxy functionality in Sentara MyChart to give another individual access to the medical information in their MyChart account. Please review the sections below for more information.

Proxy Access

  • MyChart users have the option to grant proxy access to another person.
  • Proxy relationships consist of two individuals. One of those individuals is the Patient whose medical records are being accessed. The other individual is the Proxy who will have access to the Patient’s medical information in order to help manage the care of the Patient. Any medical information that is made available to you in MyChart could also be made available to your proxy if you grant proxy access to another individual.
  • If there is information in your medical record that you do not want your proxy to see, then you should not grant proxy access to that individual.
  • Please note that, by granting another individual proxy access to your account, you are also permitting Sentara and your clinical care team to share medical information about you with your proxy.

Sentara reserves the right to revoke (put an end to) proxy access at any time for any reason. If, at any time, you wish to revoke another individual’s proxy relationship that you have granted, you may do so by going to the “Friends and family access” section in the “Share My Record” feature and clicking “Revoke” for the relationship you wish to revoke.

Proxy Access for Minors Ages 14-17

Parents/guardians may have access to their minor child’s MyChart account up until the child turns 14 years old. To comply with state law, when a minor patient reaches age 14, the parent/guardian will not be able to access the child’s MyChart account without the child’s authorization unless the child has been deemed mentally disabled or has granted his/her parent or guardian Proxy Access to the child’s MyChart account.

Individuals age 14-17 may grant Proxy Access to their parent(s)/legal guardian(s) by completing the Proxy Access portion of the MyChart Proxy Form (located here) and submitting it to Sentara. If you are unable to print, sign, and bring the proxy access form (in person) to your practice, please contact your practice (or other Sentara facility, as appropriate) for assistance.

Proxy access will only be granted to parties with parental rights or legal guardianship over the minor MyChart account holder. Sentara reserves the right to request documentation verifying the parent/guardian relationship before granting proxy access. If the proxy's legal relationship with the account holder changes, the account holder must inform us immediately by calling the practice for directions or sending written notice to the practice.

Each parent or legal guardian of the minor must have their own MyChart account to establish the Proxy relationship. Proxy access to a minor’s account will automatically terminate once the minor turns eighteen (18). Proxy access can be revoked at any time by the minor. If the minor wants to provide proxy access to a legal guardian, the request must be accompanied by a copy of all legal documentation verifying the individual’s status as legal guardian.

Proxy Access for Incapacitated or Incompetent Minor Patients Ages 14-17

In the case of a minor who has been deemed mentally incapacitated or incompetent by a medical provider who is authorized by state law to make such a determination, the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of the minor who is requesting the access must download and sign the MyChart Proxy Access form (located here), and bring the completed proxy access form (in person) to their practice. Please note that there are additional fields on the form that must be filled out for this specific type of proxy access request. Copies of all necessary legal documentation must be provided to the practice, along with the proxy access form, for patients that are incapacitated or incompetent. If you are unable to print, sign, and bring the proxy access form in person to your practice, please contact your practice (or other Sentara facility, as appropriate) for assistance.

Proxy access will only be granted to parties with parental rights or legal guardianship over the incapacitated minor MyChart account holder. Sentara reserves the right to request documentation verifying the parent/guardian relationship before granting access. Each parent or legal guardian of the incapacitated minor must have their own MyChart account to establish the Proxy relationship. Proxy access to an incapacitated minor’s account will automatically terminate once the minor turns eighteen (18) and must be re-activated. See the guidelines for Proxy access for an incapacitated or incompetent adult to reactivate the MyChart Proxy status.

Unless a court has issued an order restricting or rescinding a parent’s right to make medical decisions on behalf of their incapacitated minor child, both parents have equal right to access the incapacitated minor’s MyChart account. Access will be revoked only with valid copies of court orders revoking parental rights. Verbal statements by one parent are not sufficient to revoke the other parent’s access. Parents and/or guardians are responsible for providing valid copies of court documentation of custodial paperwork upon request by Sentara Health.

If a situation occurs where it is in the best interest of the incapacitated minor, a parent/legal guardian may revoke consent to electronic medical record access. If this occurs, both the incapacitated minor and the parent/legal guardian will lose their access to the incapacitated minor's account.

Proxy Access Request for Patients 18 and Over

Individuals over the age of 18 may request that another adult individual be granted proxy access to their Sentara MyChart account. This is done by downloading and signing the MyChart Proxy Access form (located here), and bringing the completed proxy access form (in person) to your practice.

Please note that both the patient and the person to whom the patient is granting proxy access will need to provide written consent on the MyChart Proxy Access Form. If you or your proxy are unable to print, sign, and bring the MyChart Proxy Access Form in person to your practice, please contact your practice (or other Sentara facility, as appropriate) for assistance.

Proxy Access Request for Incapacitated or Incompetent Adults (Age 18+)

Proxy access may be granted for the adult legal decision-maker of an incapacitated person or an individual who has been declared incompetent to make their own medical decisions. The decision maker may be a court appointed legal guardian, health care agent validly designated in a health care power of attorney, or the individual’s next of kin as determined under applicable state law.

To request this proxy access, the decision-maker requesting the access must download and sign the MyChart Proxy Access form (located here), and bring the completed proxy access form (in person) to their practice. Please note that there are additional fields on the form that must be filled out for this specific type of proxy access request.

Copies of all necessary legal documentation must be provided to the practice, along with the proxy access form, for patients that are incapacitated or incompetent. If you are unable to print, sign, and bring the proxy access form in person to your practice, please contact your practice (or other Sentara facility, as appropriate) for assistance.

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