Release of information is a process concerned with releasing patient information among healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders. Patient information disclosure, however, is not a task to be taken lightly, but not because of purely authoritative reasons.
There are multiple elements at play when patient information is released. The process has to be streamlined, patients’ privacy has to be protected, and only relevant and appropriate information must be shared.
Therefore, different workflows have been implemented to release information effectively. However, over the past few years, concerns about latency during the sharing process have caused a major transformation. Privacy concerns are other factors that are catalyzing this change. But what has changed for the release of information? In this article, we will go through the transformation release of information methodologies have gone through over the past few years.
What is Release of Information?
Before we go on discussing the transformation of ROI, let us first give a comprehensive definition of what is release of information.
Release of information is a process to authorize the sharing of medical records or other patient information to healthcare providers or authorized third parties.
The shared data consists of medical procedures, diagnoses, lab reports, imaging results, medication lists, and everything that can be counted as appropriate.
Two types of release of information processes exist:
- Authorized Released: Authorized releases require a patient’s consent and consist of the release of intimate patient information such as medical reports, lab reports, diagnoses, and more.
- Release that doesn’t require authorization: Unauthorized release doesn’t require a patient’s consent. The information shared often consists of treatment, payment, and operations.
How the information is released is governed by two key bodies in the United States. One is The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the other is the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH).
Why is there a change in the process of information release? Simply put, while most states can afford a 30-day turnaround time for information to be shared, some states are getting increasingly impatient. They require fast information, which has made it essential for there to be a transformation in how information is shared.
Three Key Changes in the Release of Information
The new world requires access to information faster. Not only that, the information shared must be thorough, secure, and transparent. These factors have brought forth three key changes to the release of information process.
From Paper ROI to Electronic ROI
Gone are the days when hard copies of customer information had to be posted or faxed to other organizations or entities. Things have gone digital. The rise of electronic health records has fostered this change.
As a result, information sharing has become more streamlined, secure, and efficient.
With Electronic ROI, information sharing between healthcare providers, patients, and other entities has become faster. While speed and security are two critical factors before information sharing, compliance is another. Electronic ROI makes use of tools that digitize the release of information workflow and have compliance with the HIPAA built into the code. The entire system has been designed to stay compliant.
Enhanced Privacy and Security Feature
The need for privacy and security has grown thanks to the growing number of data breaches, which has created a mandatory change in the release of information workflow. No longer are the patients ignorant of their personal medical details laying about; they care about their privacy a lot. Hospitals, too, have become more aware of it.
As a result, there is now more focus on privacy and security when releasing information, which has led to the adoption of a more robust mechanic for the ROI.
Take the standard digital ROI system as an example. Not only is this system transmitting data faster, but it also contains access controls, allowing only the authorized to gain access to the information.
On the regulatory front, there are regulations such as HIPAA and General Data Protection Regulation that are working together to create standards to protect customer information better. Healthcare facilities that fail to comply with these standards must pay heavy penalties, and that’s over the damage to reputation that will happen to them.
Patients are Now Involved With the Release of Information
The new form of release of information calls for more transparency. It is a far cry from the earlier model in which healthcare providers almost had a hegemonic control over the dispensed information.
Now patients have now become aware of their rights and have become integral to the release of information.
Per HIPAA regulations, it is a patient’s prerogative to have their healthcare information accessible to them. With the inclusion of patients in the information dispensing procedure, corrections can be made if any data has been entered incorrectly. Furthermore, with the rising need for patient privacy, it has become crucial for healthcare organizations to take patient’s consent for the information they seek to release.
What Has Been the Impact of These Changes on the Healthcare Industry?
Healthcare providers had to alter their perceptions with the new changes in the release of information.
For one, adopting new technologies, such as Electronic HRs, has been essential to them. Secondly, they have to follow the regulatory norms and protect patient details at all costs, which means they can’t compromise a patient’s privacy and confidentiality.
Furthermore, they must stay compliant with the modern “no barrier” approach to patient access. Failure to do so can result in penalties.
Conclusion
Perceptions around the release of information have shifted. Patient details are no longer under the hegemonic control of healthcare providers. The process of releasing information on paper is no longer. And, no longer can the patient’s right to privacy and security be compromised.
To navigate this new reality, it is important for healthcare providers to adopt digital technologies, pay more attention to security needs, and establish clear policies for record sharing.
Doing so will establish a homogenous ecosystem in which patients will be cared for, and hospitals will be able to deliver quality healthcare facilities.