Electronic Personal Health Information Exchange

The Government Accountability Office more than 60 operational health information exchanges and a selection of each of the exchanges' participating providers to describe 1) the practices implemented for disclosing personal health information for purposes of treatment, including the use of electronic means for obtaining consent, as reported by selected health information exchange organizations, their participating providers, and other entities; and 2) the effects of the electronic sharing of health information on the quality of care for patients as reported by these organizations.

The health care entities GAO studied reported that they implement disclosure practices that reflect widely accepted practices for safeguarding personal information-the Fair Information Practices-to help ensure the appropriate use and disclosure of electronic personal health information for treatment purposes. For example, providers in the study described various implementations of practices that require direct interaction with patients, such as informing patients of the use and disclosure of personal health information and providing patients access to their own records. Some of them inform patients that their electronic personal health information may be shared through health information exchanges-entities that were formed to facilitate the electronic sharing of patients' health information among providers. Both the providers and exchanges in the study described practices that limit disclosure of information, secure electronic information that they store and transmit, and help ensure accountability for safeguarding electronic personal health information.