RI HIE first to exchange behavioral health data

CurrentCare, Rhode Island’s health information exchange, is the first to exchange behavioral health data electronically. The Providence Center and Gateway Healthcare were the first organizations to submit behavioral health and substance abuse treatment information, known as 42 CFR Part 2 data, into CurrentCare.

CurrentCare’s opt-in model requires informed patient consent before CurrentCare can collect information about a patient and share it with the patient’s authorized healthcare providers. For behavioral health patients, this enables medical and behavioral health providers to work more closely together to provide coordinated, patient-centered treatment, according to a release.

Dale K. Klatzker, PhD, president and CEO of The Providence Center, said, “By sharing health records with our primary care partners, our more than 500 clinical staff are able to give and get a full picture of an individual’s behavioral health and primary care needs wherever they are providing care. The EHR not only provides a full record of medications, diagnosis and treatment histories for people with complex needs, it acts as a voice for people who often have trouble accessing and receiving quality healthcare.”