Teen access to health record
Allina Health is eager to help teens become more engaged in their health as they age into adulthood.
A child’s MyChart access changes once they become a teenager. Allina Health defines teenagers as adolescents between 13 and 17 years old. The state of Minnesota offers teens legal protections for some health care services, and therefore the Allina Health MyChart experience changes to ensure privacies are in place once adolescents turn 13.
In Minnesota, state statutes permit minors to consent to health care services in certain circumstances and authorize minors to consent to specific services. (More information is available here.)
As explained, minors can consent to care without parental permission for the following services: abortion, admission to treatment facility or state-operated treatment program, anatomical gifts, blood donation, Hepatitis B vaccinations, medical, mental and other health services for certain conditions (presence or treatment of a pregnancy and associated conditions, venereal disease, and alcohol or other drug abuse), and nonresidential mental health services.
Given these legal requirements, access to information within MyChart for the parent or guardian of a child (the “proxy”) changes at age 13. The new “Teen Proxy MyChart” security settings modifies the information and services that the proxy has access to in their teen’s Allina Health Account.
When used together, we have ensured a comprehensive experience between a teen’s account and their proxy’s account. Also, teens can request their own Teen MyChart access:
- in person at your next clinic or hospital visit, by asking a representative to sign you up
- online by going to account.allinahealth.org and choosing to create an account and following the prompts.
A proxy can request access to a teen's account here: adult proxy form
- complete the proxy for and submit using the address or fax number shown on the form
- sign in to your Allina Health account and click add someone (proxy).
Teen access to your health records
Teenagers begin taking on more responsibility at home, school and in the workplace. During this transitional phase, it is also a good time to become more involved in your health and well-being.
Ask your parent/guardian and health care provider questions so you can better understand any health condition(s) you may have – and your treatment options. This is one of the best ways to start building a relationship with your provider.
When you turn 13 years old, you can sign up for a free online Allina Health account (MyChart) for secure access to your health records. You are granted all the same features as adults, including:
- scheduling and managing appointments online, including virtual visits
- viewing test results
- refilling prescriptions
- accessing your health information anytime
Your free online account makes it easier than ever to communicate with and gather information from your clinic, hospital, and health care provider. Whether you have a question about a recent visit or need the date of your last tetanus shot, you can turn to your online account for the answer.
You will need a valid email address to sign up for an Allina Health account, which will be used to notify you when there is new information in your account, like test results and appointment details. Once your account is set up, you can change notifications to include text messages.
Sign up for your account:
- In person at your next clinic or hospital visit by asking a representative to sign you up.
- Online by visiting account.allinahealth.org and choosing create an account, then following the prompts.
To learn more, view the benefits of having an Allina Health account.
We encourage you to discuss all health care conditions and questions with your parent or guardian, but we also respect your privacy and rights. In fact, Minnesota state law allows you to obtain some health services without parental or guardian permission.
At your request, health care providers may keep certain services confidential, including:
- prevention and treatment of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection
- diagnosis and treatment of sexual and physical abuse
- care and counseling for drug and alcohol problems
A parent or guardian, with proxy access to your health record, will not be able to see information related to these services.
Your account is set up so that your parent or guardian with proxy access will be able to see medical messages between you and your care team. It is up to you to remove the proxy's ability to see a message and replies, and you must do so every time that you send a message.
For parents or guardians with proxy access to a teen's health record
As a parent or guardian of a teenager you will experience the shift where teens have more responsibility at home, school and in the workplace. This holds true for a teen's health care needs, too.
If you already have proxy access to a child's electronic health record, this access will automatically change from full access to limited access when the child turns 13 years old.
As a proxy, you will be able to:
- message the teen's care team
- request appointments for a teen
- review allergies, immunizations and growth charts
- view and pay bills
As a parent or guardian with proxy access, you will be able to see medical messages sent to the teen's care team and the replies.
Teens will be able to see their entire health record, including potentially sensitive information such as birth records, adoption history or diagnoses. You may wish to discuss these topics with your teen before they sign up for an account.
When a teen signs up for an Allina Health account, notifications about new information, such as test results, will be sent to the email address or phone number associated with the account.
You've likely been responsible for most, if not all, the health care decisions for your child. But as they grow into teens and young adults, now is the time to help them take more responsibility for managing their health. We encourage you to stay close to your teen during this time of transition to young adulthood and provide guidance about their health, changing bodies and lives. Minnesota state law allows teens to receive some health services without a parent or guardian present. health care providers must keep those services confidential, including:
- prevention and treatment of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection
- diagnosis and treatment of sexual and physical abuse
- care and counseling for drug and alcohol problems
While access to your teen's health information may be limited online, you can still request a copy of their full health record.
Proxy access allows a parent or guardian to gain access to a child’s health record through your Allina Health account. There are two ways to request access to a child’s health record:
- Complete the child proxy form and submit it using the address or fax number shown on the form
- Sign into your Allina Health account and click add someone (proxy)
- Test results: Given that some results may be related to protected health care services, proxies are not able to see a teen's test results once they turn 13. A teen can view results through their Allina Health account access.
- Appointments: Proxies can schedule a visit for a teen. However, given that some visits may be related to protected health care services, once scheduled, the proxy is not able to view the scheduled appointment. Proxies are not able to view past or future appointments once scheduled.
- Medical messaging: Medical messaging is not an acceptable way for teens to obtain confidential service. As such, parent/guardian consent is needed for care which may be provided via medical messaging. To obtain parental consent, teens with messages seeking medical advice must be submitted through the proxy account. The care team's response will be returned through the proxy's account.
- Virtual care: Questionnaire-based medical services (not real-time) for a teen can be obtained through the teen proxy account—this applies to Allina Health Virtual Care, eVisits and medical messaging. Video- and phone-based medical services (real-time interactions) for a teen can be obtained through the teen's account. The parent/guardian must be present at the initiation of the visit to provide the health care professional with consent to provide care to the teen. The parent/guardian is not required to remain present for the entire virtual visit.