{"id":5938,"date":"2014-06-27T10:54:48","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T14:54:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.healthit.gov\/buzz-blog\/?p=5938"},"modified":"2026-01-05T22:00:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T22:00:15","slug":"coalition-states-onc-samhsa-successfully-piloted-behavioral-health-data-exchange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthit.gov\/blog\/insights-updates\/coalition-states-onc-samhsa-successfully-piloted-behavioral-health-data-exchange\/","title":{"rendered":"Coalition of States, ONC & SAMHSA Successfully Piloted Behavioral Health Data Exchange"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A coalition of states, in partnership with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration<\/a>, successfully completed a pilot project for the interstate exchange of electronic behavioral health data using Direct. This activity illuminated some of the real challenges with using Direct, both technical and operational, but ultimately demonstrated that such exchanges can be performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project was conducted through the Behavioral Health Data Exchange Consortium, which is releasing its final report<\/a> (and addendum<\/a>) today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many providers and patients wish to electronically exchange behavioral health data. However, federal laws (such as 42 CFR Part 2, the federal rules protecting the confidentiality of certain information related to treatment for substance abuse) and state laws that provide important privacy protections have created complex challenges for sharing behavioral health information electronically.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These privacy protections may require written patient consent prior to the disclosure of such information, even for treatment. This is more restrictive than the \u201cfloor\u201d of permitted information uses set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The objective of the consortium project was to execute at least one successful pilot demonstrating the ability of providers to exchange behavioral health data electronically across state lines,” the report states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the pilot project, multiple successful exchanges of de-identified data were conducted between behavioral health providers in Florida and Alabama. These exchanges employed checklists, created by the consortium, for making and responding to requests for behavioral health information.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embracing the Challenge of Exchanging Behavioral Health Data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A group of enterprising states recognized the challenges associated with electronically sharing behavioral health information and wanted to work toward solutions. Thus, five states came together and formed the Behavioral Health Data Exchange Consortium, with financial support from ONC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The consortium eventually included representatives from seven states:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n