2023 State Healthcare IT Connect Annual Summit

Barriers exist for health information exchange, especially privacy laws for clients receiving substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Standard physical health information can be shared between covered entities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations (TPO) provisions to support care coordination and value-based care. However, the Code of Federal Regulations chapter 42 subpart A Part 2 (CFR 42 Part 2) requires explicit consent from a patient for disclosure of many SUD services to other medical professionals. In addition, several other types of data require additional special handling or patient consent due to provisions in the Washington State Uniform Health Care Information Act (UHCIA).
 
Currently, consent management for the sharing of information related to these services is handled through disparate processes which have developed at individual organizations across the state. These processes often rely on cumbersome manual solutions requiring both the originating provider and receiving provider to spend time and resources to manage faxes and phone calls to exchange consent. The lack of uniformity in process and lack of an available technical solution has inhibited the integration of substance use disorder treatment in Washington and created barriers that both endanger patients and make tackling opioid use disorder (OUD) extremely difficult for providers.
 
Crisis MH services stabilize a person in crisis to prevent further deterioration, provide immediate treatment and intervention, and provide treatment services in the least restrictive environment available. An ECM solution will greatly contribute to the success of this system by promoting access and availability to data electronically, making the data accurate and easier to access by providers in times of crisis.
 
HCA has laid significant groundwork for this solution in collaboration with behavioral health providers and community advocates to ensure safe, secure, and effective management of patient consent. The solution will leverage the state designated Health Information Exchange (HIE) to ensure lower cost and sustainability and to support Medicaid Transformation.