FAQs for parents of 13 to 17-year old patients

Your Questions, Answered

What information can my child see on the portal?

Your child can:

  • Send messages to their provider for non-urgent needs
  • View allergies, current medications, problems, past procedures, patient education, patient summaries and selected basic lab results. Stony Brook Medicine believes in empowering and informing our patients, therefore additional data is coming soon
  • View and download their Transition of Care document (also known as Continuity of Care document)

Can my child communicate privately with their doctors?

The MyHealthelife Patient Portal messaging section allows your child to communicate with their provider through secure messages. These messages are sent through a secure medium, ensuring HIPAA compliance and protection of sensitive information from undesired parties.  

Do parents have access to their child’s information?

Proxy access to portal accounts for patients ages 13 to 17 is not available. Allowing for patient privacy once a patient reaches adolescence is critical for ensuring that they feel comfortable utilizing healthcare services.

According to the American Academy for Family Physicians, “Concerns about confidentiality may create barriers to open communication between patient and physician and may thus discourage adolescents from seeking necessary medical care and counseling.”