Appropriate Use of Health Link for Medical Students
Previously, UWSMPH medical students received Health Link access in connection with their clinical clerkships – typically in their 3rd or 4th years of medical school. In light of curriculum redesign, UW Health now deploys full medical student Health Link access starting in the 1st year of medical school. This allows our medical students to utilize Health Link as any other UW Health physicians can, short of finalizing notes or signing orders. We expect this broad Health Link access to enhance medical student training by allowing access to relevant information available to other members of patients’ care teams, facilitating more efficient and effective communication with other health care providers, and creating opportunities for reflection and development of independent clinical reasoning skills. This access aligns with Compliance Advisories and Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency developed by the AAMC. Allowing for this Health Link access also creates corresponding risks that Health Link may be misused. As you participate in the education and supervision of medical students, please note:
- Medical students’ Health Link access may only be utilized in connection with the requirements of their medical school curriculum and mentored student research programs. Please notify UWSMPH’s HIPAA Privacy Coordinator, Ryan Moze, when mentored student research will require Health Link access.
- Medical students are not permitted to utilize their Health Link access to function as paid or volunteer members of any other research teams, and should not be asked to perform functions in Health Link unrelated to their curriculum or mentored student research.
- Medical students are not to be utilized as research study coordinators.
- Contact Ryan Moze, UWSMPH’s HIPAA Privacy Coordinator, with questions or concerns.
Any questionable uses of Health Link will be reviewed collaboratively by UW-Madison and UW Health. Feel free to contact the UW-Madison and UW Health Privacy Officers with questions.