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Results & Letters Imported from Secure Messaging Automatically Marked as Confidential

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Occasionally, results and letters received via Secure Messaging are automatically flagged as Confidential in MediRecords. This is not an error within MediRecords but occurs due to a specific field and value that the laboratory or provider has sent within the file. 
 

Why Does This Happen?

MediRecords follows the HL7 National Standards for interpreting incoming messages. These standards include a field called PV1-16 (VIP), which indicates whether the patient is considered a “Very Important Person” (VIP). This field is included in letters and results sent via Secure Messaging, by labs and providers.

  • If the PV1-16 field contains an N, it means the patient has been identified as a National Leader (e.g., president, prime minister, royalty).
  • When MediRecords receives this flag, the result or letter is automatically marked as Confidential to protect the patient’s privacy, in line with the HL7 National Standards.
  • For the vast majority of patients, the PV1-16 field should be set to either blank or set to 0 to prevent the file from being locked when imported into MediRecords, as they do not qualify as a "Very Important Person" in HL7's context.
📌 Important: MediRecords is unable to edit the letter or result to remove this value. Only the secure messaging provider or responsible laboratory can resolve this problem, as it lies within their system.

The workflow involving marking a file as confidential is a real use-case that MediRecords must adhere to, so we are unable to remove this functionality.

 

Practice Impact

  • The confidentiality flag is applied based on the information sent by the lab or provider - not by MediRecords.
  • You will be unable to view the contents of the result or letter if you are not the assignee of a confidential result. You will also be unable to remove the confidential flag from the file if you are not the assignee.
  • MediRecords cannot override this setting because it is part of the national messaging standards, and would involve editing a clinical document which would be inappropriate for a vendor. 

 

Resolution

If you believe results have been marked as confidential in error, the laboratory or Secure Messaging provider needs to review their HL7 configuration and ensure the PV1-16 field is used correctly. You may provide this resource as a guide to the appropriate use of the PV1-16 field. 

If you notice results or letters incorrectly marked as confidential, please contact the laboratory and/or secure messaging broker directly with the following details for each affected file and request that they update the record to non-confidential:

  • Patient Name
  • Assigned Doctor
  • Sending Provider/Lab
  • Test Name
  • Test Date
  • Subject

 

Summary

  • MediRecords applies confidentiality based on the data received from the sender.
  • This behaviour is intentional and follows national standards for patient privacy.
  • Any corrections must be made by the sending lab or secure messaging provider; MediRecords is unable to resolve this problem on the broker/laboratory's behalf.

 

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Still need help?

If this article did not fully answer your question, our Support team is here to help. We can assist with troubleshooting, guidance, or clarifying how MediRecords works.

Contact MediRecords Support
Phone: 1300 103 903
Email: support@medirecords.com
Live chat: Available directly within the MediRecords app or via the Knowledge Base

🎓

Want to build confidence using MediRecords?

We offer tailored software training for individuals and teams, whether you need help with specific workflows or a broader overview of the platform.

To enquire about training, contact your Customer Success Manager or email success@medirecords.com .

 

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