ONC plans efforts to develop patient consent for exchange

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT intends to conduct a consumer electronic consent pilot as part of advancing health information exchange. The ability for patients to decide whether they should provide e-consent in situations that would trigger it is a step that can build trust in sharing their health data and accelerate exchange. ONC is gauging vendor interest and experience in managing such a pilot, according to an announcement in Federal Business Opportunities. A potential vendor would develop and evaluate how to obtain feedback on patient choice in health information exchange and create innovative ways to educate consumers about options they have in providing consent in a clinical setting, whether it is automated or determined through a decision process with their primary physician in which the patient is a knowledgeable participant. The potential vendor would partner with healthcare providers that exchange health information.