HHS panel mulls patient control over select data

The Privacy and Security Tiger Team yesterday began exploring how current technologies can help patients make decisions on consent and access to their electronic health records when more sensitive patient data is involved.

The team, composed of government and private sector healthcare privacy experts, teed up questions related to how to accommodate patients who might want to exercise highly-selective levels of control over electronic versions of their personal health information or portions of that data. Although the direct exchange of patient data between providers for treatment purposes does not require patient consent beyond what is covered in existing law and fair information practices, some patients may want to exercise more choice in consultation with their providers about how their sensitive data is handled, the experts noted.