What is Consent Management?
Coloradans should have access to their own health information and the ability to choose if and when to securely share their health information with their health providers. This process – known as consent management – allows individuals to give and remove consent to allow for their health data to be shared with providers, community organizations, payers, and other agencies.
Consent management is one of the core information services identified in the 2021 Health IT Roadmap. This means that we have identified this service as critical for a successful health IT system that works for all Coloradans.
The Colorado consent management solution will maintain patient privacy, respect individuals’ decisions, and empower individuals to have control over their own data.
Consent Management Workgroup Meetings
eHealth Commissioner Sponsor: Wes Williams
Next Meeting: October 20, 2023, 10:00 AM Mountain Time
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84144212711
September Meeting Documents:
Archive
Current Consent Management Projects
Imagine logging on to a website or app and quickly and easily seeing when, how, and with whom your health data (including physical, behavioral, and social health data) is being shared. You could change your consent decisions with the click of a button instead of waiting until the next time you go to the doctor. You could pick and choose what types of data you want to share with which health providers. This is the digital consent management experience OeHI envisions.
This solution would empower patients to make decisions about their data that make the most sense for them. Patients and providers could easily see what kinds of data sharing the patient has consented to, and there would be less redundant paperwork when you go to a health provider.
The State is currently creating a standardized consent form to be used for people experiencing substance use disorder (SUD). SUD data has special federal protections, so patients seeking SUD treatment must consent to share or not share that type of data with their health providers.
This draft form will be available in English and Spanish, and there will also be paper and digital versions available.
This form is currently being reviewed by our community partners who treat patients with substance use disorder.
To ensure that the future Colorado consent management system does not unintentionally exclude or harm communities, we are approaching all consent-related projects through an equity lens. This means that we want the consent management system to be trustworthy, accessible, understandable, and easy to use for all people in Colorado.
We have identified the need for all consent solutions to be accessible in multiple languages and in easy-to-understand language. We also know that not everyone has access to the Internet, a computer, or a mobile device, so we are working to ensure that a digital consent solution will not exclude those without access to technology.
To learn more about our consent equity strategy, email our Ask OeHI email address at gov_ask_oehi@state.co.us.
Additional Resources
- Modernizing Consent to Advance Health and Equity (PDF, 2021)
- The Limits to Digital Consent (PDF, 2021)
Get Engaged
If you're interested in getting engaged, please reach out to our Ask OeHI email address at gov_ask_oehi@state.co.us.