Connie, Connecticut's state-designated Health Information Exchange, has been selected for a federal Behavioral Health Interoperability Pilot Grant to implement electronic consent management for patients in substance use disorder treatment — part of a $20 million national initiative to strengthen behavioral and physical health data integration.
Connecticut is one of nine states awarded funding through the Behavioral Health Information Technology Initiative, led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Representing 45 exchange partners, the pilot programs will test behavioral health data elements in real-world settings nationwide, with findings expected to shape future standards and policy for the broader healthcare community.
Connie will partner with two Connecticut behavioral health providers — Community Health Resources and United Services — to establish bidirectional, automated data exchange for patients in substance use disorder treatment. The solution will comply with 42 CFR Part 2, the federal regulation governing the confidentiality of substance use disorder records.
The project aims to reduce barriers to care coordination by giving providers a secure, patient-directed mechanism for sharing sensitive clinical information across behavioral and primary care settings.
"These grants represent an exciting step forward in strengthening the connection between behavioral and physical health providers. Behavioral health and SUD information are among the most sensitive types of data in healthcare, and both providers and patients should feel secure in how that information is shared. Thoughtfully designed consent management tools are essential to support secure, patient-directed exchange while giving providers the insights they need to collaborate more effectively on shared patients," says Jenn Searls, Executive Director of Connie. "We're proud to help advance national standards that will benefit behavioral health providers and their patients—both in Connecticut and across the country."
"Caring for patients in SUD treatment requires true partnership between behavioral health and primary care teams. Too often, we're working with pieces of a patient's story instead of the full picture," says Heather Gates, President and CEO of Community Health Resources. "This pilot allows us to securely exchange critical clinical information with our primary care partners in real time, reducing delays and supporting more connected care."
Diane Manning, CEO of United Services added, "By leveraging Connie's consent management tool, we anticipate that we'll be able to streamline coordination for all our patients at United Services. This program will help our staff spend less time on administrative tasks and more on delivering exceptional patient care for our community."
