Test Highlights: How To Do EHR Data Sharing Right

The Department Veterans Affairs  and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have demonstrated how to securely share sensitive health information via electronic health records  (EHRs).

The test also showed how substance abuse and other sensitive data can be tagged so that when it is sent in a summary of care record to another provider with the patient’s permission, the receiving provider will know  they need to obtain the patient’s authorization to further disclose the sensitive information with others, according to a Sept. 17 announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA is an agency in HHS.

Privacy metadata from the SAMHSA EHR electronically explained to the VA EHR system that substance abuse treatment information within the clinical document is protected by federal confidentiality laws and can only be used for certain authorized purposes. It cannot be further disclosed without the patient’s consent.