ClientTracker Online Patient Portal - Client Access
Patient Access to Clinical Notes - SUMMARY
- As of October 1, 2022, the Cures Act requires that patients are able to access their own electronic clinical notes online
- ClientTracker Cloud version 7.0.21 has new features for you to set up access to medical records for your clients
- When clients contact your office requesting access, you will send them an invitation email from ClientTracker
- Clients may then create an account online, verify their identity, and access records from the program
- Clients may access qualifying SOAPs marked final, Files stored in their ClientTracker record, and Medical History (if any)
- You have to set up this new feature in ClientTracker, before it is available to your clients
Detailed Information About How the Patient Portal Works
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Introduction
The Federal 21st Century Cures Act requires 8 categories of electronic clinical notes to be accessible online by patients. ClientTracker makes this possible on a website, where patients (aka "clients") may set up a secure account, and access their qualifying SOAP Notes and files directly from your ClientTracker Cloud program. This feature is not available in our Desktop version. Qualified SOAP Notes Only qualified SOAP Notes in ClientTracker will be available to clients (in PDF format). The program defines qualified SOAP Notes as those having a SOAP Final date, at least one diagnosis or procedure code, and a chief complaint. The convenience of the SOAP Final date gives providers control over client access to the SOAP Note while it is still in progress. There is a handy utility available in ClientTracker, which will mark all qualified past SOAPs final for a single client. The button is found at the bottom of each client's “Appointments & SOAPs” list. |
The 8 categories of clinical notes, as defined in the Cures Act
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Patient Portal
The website where your clients will access their Clinical Notes is called a “Patient Portal.” They will not be able to access anyone else’s information. You will need to provide your clients with the website address (“URL”) of your practice’s designated Patient Portal. First, you’ll need to make sure your ClientTracker data is ready to share with clients, and you’ll need to register with Ginkgo Software to create your URL.
What Information is Available to Patients
The following information from ClientTracker will be available to clients when they create an account in your Patient Portal:
The website where your clients will access their Clinical Notes is called a “Patient Portal.” They will not be able to access anyone else’s information. You will need to provide your clients with the website address (“URL”) of your practice’s designated Patient Portal. First, you’ll need to make sure your ClientTracker data is ready to share with clients, and you’ll need to register with Ginkgo Software to create your URL.
What Information is Available to Patients
The following information from ClientTracker will be available to clients when they create an account in your Patient Portal:
- Qualified SOAP Notes (see above)
- All files linked to the Client record (i.e. in the Files tab on their Client Personal screen)
- Medical History, if any (from the Client Personal > History tab)
Things You Should Do in Your ClientTracker
When first accessing the Patient Portal, clients will need to identify themselves, in order to access their Clinical Notes. They will be asked to enter an email and date of birth. These must match exactly what is in the ClientTracker “Client” record. To comply with the Cures Act, you must make sure this information is entered in their record so they will have access.
If you have any of the “8 categories of clinical notes” stored electronically outside of ClientTracker, (e.g. Word documents, images, PDFs), you should add these files to ClientTracker to make them available in compliance with the Cares Act.
Of course you’ll need to provide your patients with the URL to access your Patient Portal. This is done by sending an email from their Personal screen, using the “Patient Portal Invite” button on the Defaults tab in the middle of the screen.
First, you’ll need to register for this service within ClientTracker (see “Patient Portal Setup” below). This should be done by October 1, 2022.
When first accessing the Patient Portal, clients will need to identify themselves, in order to access their Clinical Notes. They will be asked to enter an email and date of birth. These must match exactly what is in the ClientTracker “Client” record. To comply with the Cures Act, you must make sure this information is entered in their record so they will have access.
If you have any of the “8 categories of clinical notes” stored electronically outside of ClientTracker, (e.g. Word documents, images, PDFs), you should add these files to ClientTracker to make them available in compliance with the Cares Act.
Of course you’ll need to provide your patients with the URL to access your Patient Portal. This is done by sending an email from their Personal screen, using the “Patient Portal Invite” button on the Defaults tab in the middle of the screen.
First, you’ll need to register for this service within ClientTracker (see “Patient Portal Setup” below). This should be done by October 1, 2022.
Patient Portal Setup
The Patient Portal controls are found in the Settings > Program > Patient Portal tab of ClientTracker Cloud. You’ll need to have version 7.0.21 or higher to access this feature.
Steps 1 & 2 - Preparation
Please read all of this information before you begin. Also read the Ginkgo Software Terms & Conditions, and Privacy Notice before proceeding. (Access these from within your ClientTracker program.) An “I have read & understand” checkbox will appear when you have clicked the link to view these web pages.
Step 3 - Your Practice Name
The “URL” that is used to access your Patient Portal may be customized to display your practice name in the address bar of your clients’ browsers. Once you register your Patient Portal with Ginkgo Software, this name cannot be changed. This not only identifies your practice, but provides a HIPAA secure environment where only your ClientTracker data is available to your patients.
Enter your name in the space provided (no spaces or extra characters), and click the number 4 to make the “Send” button appear.
Step 4 - Register with Ginkgo Software
Click the Send button to notify Ginkgo Software by email. You will receive a confirmation email when your new Patient Portal is ready to use, in about 1-2 business days.
Steps 5 & 6 - Allow Access
The checkbox “All SOAPs marked Final may be downloaded by a Client” should always be checked, unless you have a reason to block access for all patients. The Cures Act specifically mandates that you should never block access, but having an “on/off switch” allows you to control this aspect of compliance.
Utility to Mark Past SOAPs Final
If you haven’t been using the SOAP Final Date available in ClientTracker, now is the time to start doing this for all your SOAP Notes, going forward. You’ll find it in two places: in the footer of the SOAP Details screen and in in the Files / Photos tab on the right edge of the screen; inside the SOAP Control Panel subtab.
ClientTracker provides a handy utility to mark all qualifying SOAP Notes final for a single Client, for a specific date date range. Click the “gear” button at the bottom of the “Appointments & SOAPs” list, enter the date range, then click the Mark as Final button when ready.
The Patient Portal controls are found in the Settings > Program > Patient Portal tab of ClientTracker Cloud. You’ll need to have version 7.0.21 or higher to access this feature.
Steps 1 & 2 - Preparation
Please read all of this information before you begin. Also read the Ginkgo Software Terms & Conditions, and Privacy Notice before proceeding. (Access these from within your ClientTracker program.) An “I have read & understand” checkbox will appear when you have clicked the link to view these web pages.
Step 3 - Your Practice Name
The “URL” that is used to access your Patient Portal may be customized to display your practice name in the address bar of your clients’ browsers. Once you register your Patient Portal with Ginkgo Software, this name cannot be changed. This not only identifies your practice, but provides a HIPAA secure environment where only your ClientTracker data is available to your patients.
- EXAMPLE: Your practice name is “Gentle Touch Healthcare”
- The URL for your clients will look like this: https://GentleTouchHealthcare.schedulenow.net
Enter your name in the space provided (no spaces or extra characters), and click the number 4 to make the “Send” button appear.
Step 4 - Register with Ginkgo Software
Click the Send button to notify Ginkgo Software by email. You will receive a confirmation email when your new Patient Portal is ready to use, in about 1-2 business days.
Steps 5 & 6 - Allow Access
The checkbox “All SOAPs marked Final may be downloaded by a Client” should always be checked, unless you have a reason to block access for all patients. The Cures Act specifically mandates that you should never block access, but having an “on/off switch” allows you to control this aspect of compliance.
- This checkbox will show after Ginkgo Software has activated your Patient Portal
Utility to Mark Past SOAPs Final
If you haven’t been using the SOAP Final Date available in ClientTracker, now is the time to start doing this for all your SOAP Notes, going forward. You’ll find it in two places: in the footer of the SOAP Details screen and in in the Files / Photos tab on the right edge of the screen; inside the SOAP Control Panel subtab.
ClientTracker provides a handy utility to mark all qualifying SOAP Notes final for a single Client, for a specific date date range. Click the “gear” button at the bottom of the “Appointments & SOAPs” list, enter the date range, then click the Mark as Final button when ready.
- If the client has a lot of past SOAP Notes that need to be marked final, this could take a few minutes to finish.
- If you forget to mark SOAPs final in the future, you may return here, advance the cutoff date, and run the utility again.
- This utility does NOT provide clients access yet. You’ll need to send the Patient Portal Invite email to give them instructions and access.
How to Give Clients Access to the Patient Portal
When you have completed the setup steps above, a new “Patient Portal Invite” link will appear on each Client’s Personal screen, on the Defaults tab in the center. Click this to open a pop-up with the “Send Invite” button, which will send the Client an email with login instructions.
Clients will need an email address marked “Use,” and a Date of Birth, in order to receive this email and identify themselves on the Patient Portal.
What the Client Will See
When they first access your Patient Portal from the link in the email invitation, the client will be asked to enter their email (the same address where they received the invitation), and their date of birth.
On confirmation of their identity, they will be asked to enter a password of their choosing. Neither your practice or Ginkgo Software will be aware of this password.
On the Patient Portal Dashboard is a list of all their SOAP Notes (those marked final), and a list of any Files added to their record in ClientTracker. The client may click a button to view SOAPs (and most types of files), and/or select them to be downloaded. They may also choose to download their entire medical record (including their medical history) with the click of a single button.
The Patient Portal is designed to provide the client with autonomous access to their medical records online. If they forget their password, there is a link available on the login screen, which will send them a new password.
When you have completed the setup steps above, a new “Patient Portal Invite” link will appear on each Client’s Personal screen, on the Defaults tab in the center. Click this to open a pop-up with the “Send Invite” button, which will send the Client an email with login instructions.
Clients will need an email address marked “Use,” and a Date of Birth, in order to receive this email and identify themselves on the Patient Portal.
What the Client Will See
When they first access your Patient Portal from the link in the email invitation, the client will be asked to enter their email (the same address where they received the invitation), and their date of birth.
On confirmation of their identity, they will be asked to enter a password of their choosing. Neither your practice or Ginkgo Software will be aware of this password.
On the Patient Portal Dashboard is a list of all their SOAP Notes (those marked final), and a list of any Files added to their record in ClientTracker. The client may click a button to view SOAPs (and most types of files), and/or select them to be downloaded. They may also choose to download their entire medical record (including their medical history) with the click of a single button.
The Patient Portal is designed to provide the client with autonomous access to their medical records online. If they forget their password, there is a link available on the login screen, which will send them a new password.
"Tips & Troubleshooting
The only way to provide the login link and information to your patients is to use the Invitation Email described above. Please do not provide patients with the link any other way. To protect patient privacy and make sure they see only their won information, the link must not be added to your own website.
My patient is not receiving the Invitation Email
These are sent just like an Appointment Confirmation Email, and are subject to the same rules. Is their email entered correctly in ClientTracker and marked "use"? Have they checked their SPAM folder?
My patient says they lost their password
There is a "lost password" link on the login screen, for the patient to reset their own password, using the email that was used to set up their Online Patient Portal account. Please instruct them to use that link, and follow the instructions.
My patient says they cannot access any information after they login
This should be rare, and could be affected by a number of things, including the security settings of their device or computer.
The only way to provide the login link and information to your patients is to use the Invitation Email described above. Please do not provide patients with the link any other way. To protect patient privacy and make sure they see only their won information, the link must not be added to your own website.
My patient is not receiving the Invitation Email
These are sent just like an Appointment Confirmation Email, and are subject to the same rules. Is their email entered correctly in ClientTracker and marked "use"? Have they checked their SPAM folder?
My patient says they lost their password
There is a "lost password" link on the login screen, for the patient to reset their own password, using the email that was used to set up their Online Patient Portal account. Please instruct them to use that link, and follow the instructions.
My patient says they cannot access any information after they login
This should be rare, and could be affected by a number of things, including the security settings of their device or computer.