The ONC, several states and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have announced the successful test exchange of behavioral health data across state lines using Direct messaging.
The exchange of behavioral health data is subject to more privacy restrictions than the exchange of other health data that go beyond HIPAA requirements, such as requiring written patient consent for each exchange.
However, the pilot shows Direct exchange protocols can help meet the heightened privacy requirements, as this method of exchange can ensure the information is sent to just the verified recipient and is not available for other providers to view or query. While challenges remain, this test shows sharing behavioral health data is possible, according to an ONC blog post.
More Articles on Data Exchange:
12 Recently Announced HIEs
4 EHR Issues That Can Compromise Patient Safety
Regional HIE to Launch in Northern Virginia